Inapp Debugger

Test common in-app issues

InAppDebugger.com

Features

• ✅ View console
• ✅ View OS/Browser
• ✅ View user agent
• ✅ View in-app detection
• ✅ Test in-app downloads (on-the-fly and static assets)
• ✅ Test in-app escape links (Android + iOS)

Running

• nvm install / nvm use
• yarn install
• yarn run dev

Deploying to GitHub Pages

• yarn run deploy

Results from Mobile App Tests Using inappdebugger.com

Table displays latest versions of apps - previous versions may differ.

Android

On Android, use the intent link to escape most in-app browsers.

• ❌ 🔇 - Fails to download file without any indication to user (silent)
• ❌ 📝 - Fails but provides a note
• ❌ 📂 - Opens file in browser but doesn't download or provide feedback on how to download

Intent link escape (opens link in default browser instead of in-app) - intent://example.com#Intent;scheme=https;end

• Last updated: Nov 7, 2024

App (Android)	Default browser / Tab View	Detect In-app	Blob Url download	Static asset download	Intent link escape
WeChat	❌	✅	❌ 📝	❌ 📝	❌ does not work
Telegram	❌	✅	❌ 📝	✅	✅
Line	❌	✅	❌ 📝	❌ Fails to load	✅
TikTok	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 🔇	❌ not dependable
Threads	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 🔇	✅
Facebook	❌	✅	❌ 📝	❌ 📂	✅
Instagram	❌	✅	❌ 📝	❌ 📂	✅
Messenger	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 🔇	✅
SnapChat	✅	NA	NA	NA	NA
LinkedIn	✅	NA	NA	NA	NA
Twitter	✅	NA	NA	NA	NA
Gmail	✅	NA	NA	NA	NA
YouTube	✅	NA	NA	NA	NA
Google Search App	✅	NA	NA	NA	NA
GroupMe	✅	NA	NA	NA	NA

iOS

There is no Apple-approved way to escape in-app browsers to the default browser in contrast to Android intent links.

There are some escape schemes available on iOS (ie: to Safari).

SFSVC (Safari View Controller) - akin to Tab View on Android minus honouring default browser - is used by many apps to open web links over older in-app browsers. Safari View Controller has a bad UX downloading experience compared to normal iOS Safari.

• SFSVC - SFSafariViewController
• ❌ 🔇 - Fails to download file without any indication to user (silent)
• ❌ 📝 - Fails but provides a note
• ❌ 📂 - Opens file in browser but doesn't download or provide feedback on how to download
• ❌ 🗑️ - SFSVC - You can download in this view after clicking "More...", scroll, click "Save image" or file. Garbage UX compared to Safari. User complaints are high.

Escape methods:

• Safari scheme - x-safari-https://example.com
• Browser scheme - In example Chrome: googlechromes://example.com

Last updated: October 16, 2024

App (iPhone)	Uses default browser	Detect In-app	Blob Url download	Static asset download	Safari scheme	Browser scheme
Gmail	✅	-	Don't select Safari icon (SFSVC)	Don't select Safari icon (SFSVC)	-	-
YouTube	✅	-	Don't select Safari icon (SFSVC)	Don't select Safari icon (SFSVC)	-	-
SFSafariViewController - Selecting "Safari" icon to open a link from an app like in Gmail or Twitter.	❌ SFSVC	🧪 Experimental	❌ 🗑️	❌ 🗑️	✅	✅
Threads	❌ SFSVC	🧪 Experimental	❌ 🗑️	❌ 🗑️	✅	✅
Twitter	❌ SFSVC	🧪 Experimental	❌ 🗑️	❌ 🗑️	✅	✅
TikTok	❌	✅	❌ 📂	❌ 📂	✅	❌
WeChat	❌	✅	❌ 📝	❌ 📝	❌	❌
Telegram	❌	✅	❌ 📂	✅	✅	✅
Line	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Facebook	❌	✅	❌ 📂	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Instagram	❌	✅	❌ 📂	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Messenger	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	✅	❌
SnapChat	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	❌	❌
LinkedIn	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Google Search App	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	✅	✅	✅