Why Do Apps Have to Be So Annoying with Their Internal Browsers?
Okay, let’s talk about something that’s been driving me absolutely nuts lately. Every time I click a link in an app. Whether it’s LinkedIn, GitHub, Slack, or whatever... it doesn’t open in my nice, familiar browser. Nope, it’s always some weird internal browser (probably a WebView or whatever) inside the app. And let me tell you: it sucks...
Why Internal Browsers Are Just the Worst
These internal browsers are bad, and here’s why:
I’m Already Logged In, But It Doesn’t Care
Oh, you want to check out a private repo on GitHub? Too bad! Log in again brother, because this internal browser has no idea you’re already signed in on Chrome. Same thing for Google Docs, or any other link where you need to be logged in. It’s like the app is trolling you.
Features? What Features?
My main browser has all the cool extensions, bookmarks, tabs that actually work well. But these internal browsers? They’re stripped down to the bare minimum.
Let Me Choose, Please!
If I’m a Chrome person (or Safari, Firefox, whatever), I want to use that browser. Not some half-baked in-app thing that’s there just to trap me.
Why Do Apps Even Do This?
Honestly, it’s probably about two things:
1 - Keeping You Stuck in the App
They don’t want you wandering off. If you open a link in Chrome, you might forget to come back. So, boom!! internal browser. That way, you’re still technically in their app.
2 - They Wanna Track You
Internal browsers let apps track what you’re doing, gather data, and maybe even throw some extra ads in your face. Unacceptable!!
How About Some Options?
Here’s an idea: just let us pick how links open. It’s not that hard. A few suggestions:
Let Me Use My Default Browser: Just add a setting to open links in my actual browser.
Big “Open in Browser” Button: If you’re gonna force me into your WebView, at least give me an easy way to jump to my browser.
Sync It Up: If you’re so desperate to keep me in your app, at least sync cookies and logins so I don’t have to re-enter passwords.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it’s all about user experience. Nobody likes being forced into a clunky, limited web view when they could just use their preferred browser. It’s frustrating, unnecessary, and makes simple tasks way harder than they need to be. Movile dev colleagues, please give us the control we deserve. Until then, I’ll keep long-pressing every link to force it open in my actual browser because I refuse to let these apps win.
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