Why do my Facebook email links open up in Safari and not the Facebook App?

Question

Level 1

9 points

Why do my Facebook email links open up in Safari and not the Facebook App?

I recently started having a problem that I cannot seem to diagnose and fix, and was wondering if anyone had a solution that I might not be aware of. I have an iPhone 4 running iOS 4.3 and when I would get an email update from Facebook I was able to click on the link in the email and it would open up the Facebook App on my iPhone and take me to the post. "Suddenly" a few days ago it stopped doing that, and now it opens up Facebook in Safari instead, and then proceeds to tell me the page is not found, or it is temporarily unavailable. However, I can exit Safari and open up the FB app and the post is right there. I know for sure that the links are not viruses, and that my email is not hacked. But, I do not know if this problem is related to Gmail, Facebook, or the iPhone, and I cannot seem to find any settings on the iPhone that would fix it (like give permission for email links to open apps), so I'm hoping someone has a suggestion...

Thank you!

iPhone 4, iOS 4, 4.3

Posted on Apr 13, 2011 5:04 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Apr 13, 2011 5:20 PM in response to VegasKait

Perhaps you should ask the developers of the Facebook app. But you say that you get an error when Safari opens; what this likely means is that the link was broken, so Facebook app didn't recognize it as one of its own. It thus launched Safari, just as it would if there was an true link in a message. You may be getting the alert before the email has been posted. Have you tried waiting 10 seconds or so before opening the email?

Reply

Answer 2

Jun 2, 2012 9:55 PM in response to VegasKait

I have had this problem since day one. I've tried re-installing the facebook app, making sure push notifications are on, etc... but clicking on e-mail facebook links or facebook links in my address book always open Safari instead of the facebook app.

There must be a setting somewhere to tell iOS to use the facebook app instead of Safari ?

Reply

Answer 3

Oct 22, 2012 12:15 PM in response to nathannookie

I'm having the same problem as the OP. I just picked up the new iPT5 and downloaded all the app updates, including the latest Facebook mobile app from iTunes. I successfully configured and logged into both the integrated iOS 6 Facebook account and the separate mobile Facebook app.

However, when I get an email that includes a link to FB, the link opens in the mobile Safari browser and asks me to (1) log into my FB account via Safari or (2) download the FB app from the app store - which I've already installed and logged into. When I click on the link to download the FB mobile app, the app store opens and then finally realizes that I already have the app installed. At that point, the app store provides a button to "open" the app, instead of "install" it.

I've looked through all the settings and I can't find a way to make the device open FB email links using the FB mobile app instead of the mobile Safari browser.

I've tried re-booting the device, un-installing the FB mobile app and then re-installing it, logging in and out of the mobile app, etc. Nothing has worked.

Any suggestions?

Reply

Answer 4

Oct 2, 2014 2:32 PM in response to VegasKait

This really is an annoying problem that neither Apple nor Facebook seem to give a **** about! Facebook sends me an email to notify me of a posting with a link which when I click on it takes me to Safari which want's me to 'Log In' to Facebook instead of just opening in the Facebook App - Which I have deleted and re downloaded several times!

It worked fine until a few weeks ago - probably until the latest update?

Should anyone at Apple even read this? I'm using an iPhone 5S with the latest updates. Not impressed with either Apple or Facebook!

Reply

Answer 5

Sep 16, 2014 9:34 AM in response to ToothTooth

I have the same trouble as Tooth Tooth. Used to work so who's changed something???

Reply

Answer 6

Sep 16, 2014 9:36 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

The link pn every email seems doubtful. They can't all be broken?

Reply

Answer 7

VegasKait Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 13, 2011 5:53 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Thank you, yes, I have posted my question to Facebook and also to Gmail, as I do not know where exactly the problem lies, but you have been the first and fastest response I have received in order to begin troubleshooting. I wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking simple setting with the iPhone itself that could easily fix this problem. As for the time waited to click the link after receiving the email, it is always well over 10 seconds. I suspect that you are absolutely correct about the link somehow being broken and unable to communicate with the app. And since there does not seem to be a setting on the iPhone to fix that communication error, you are probably right about the problem being with Facebook and not the iPhone itself. Thank you for your response, I will continue to try and pursue an answer from Facebook then.

Reply