Is there any way to turn off universal links (app kidnap)?

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Level 1

17 points

Is there any way to turn off universal links (app kidnap)?

Is there any way to turn off universal links?

I've had to wait for the Amazon app to load, close the Amazon app, go back to my browser and open in tab five times tonight. I basically never want a browser link to automatically open an app. Asking would be more acceptable, although, frankly, I could do without them even asking and just loading as a webpage in the browser.

Before I get pounced on for having apps I don't want to open, I have reasons. For example, I use the notifications of shipments and deliveries that Amazon's app provides to check for deliveries at my front door. However, I don't otherwise use the app, among other reasons because I use Smile and because the app doesn't provide all the information the web page does. That and I never want to be "swept up" into an insular shopping "experience" if I can help it. I use my Mac under which I still feel I have a wide range of control or, if I have to use iOS, use the browser in 1Password.

This obnoxious behavior doesn't just happen in Safari, but in alternative browsers such as iCab Mobile. And that is with iCab Mobile's ask before opening app option checked.

If there any way to control this nasty app kidnap behavior? Or is the only option to eliminate all these apps from my iPad?

Signed,

It's a Bug, Not a Feature

Message was edited by: Pangur for clarity.

Posted on Sep 30, 2015 8:37 PM

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Answer 1

Pangur Author

Level 1

17 points

Oct 2, 2015 8:19 PM in response to Pangur

The answer seems to be "no." I'm keeping the Amazon app for now on probation. However, I'm deleting any other app the first time.

The first to go was Twitter. That's a shame, but I can't have apps that open themselves. I wonder if alternative Twitter apps will work for me.

Oddly, the large percentage Apple sets for selling through an iOS app finally has an advantage. I don't think I'll have to worry about unload digital product apps, such as Kobo and B&N or Audible of Downpour because product selling pages have been removed from their apps.

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Answer 2

Titus0

Level 1

4 points

Aug 7, 2016 10:59 PM in response to Pangur

Weird! I am the happy user of a newspaper-app. A small discomfort is that the app doesn't support copying URLs. So, sometimes I want to open not the app but the website to be able to copy an URL to post the URL elsewhere. I have been looking for this solution several times in, maybe, more than a year. It is at least a small comfort to know that I was not crazy by not finding a solution.

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Answer 3

jkoberg

Level 1

4 points

Nov 12, 2016 10:36 AM in response to Pangur

After the offending app opens, look in the top right corner of the screen.

You'll see the name of the website that got "bypassed", like you sometimes see the app you "came from" on the left.

Touch that and it will return to Safari and open the link in the browser as intended, and from what I read, will disable that app's universal links.

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