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

Android

While many social media sites fail to download assets properly, on Android you can use the intent link reliably to escape except for WeChat + TikTok.

• ❌ 🔇 - 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: Oct 16, 2024

App (Android)	Default browser / Tab View	Detect In-app	Blob Url download	Static asset download	Intent link escape
WeChat	❌	✅	❌ 📝	❌ 📝	❌ does not work
Telegram	❌	❌ in progress	❌ 📝	✅	✅
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 are some escape methods available namely to Safari - use inappdebugger.com to test out methods. However there is no Apple-approved way to escape in-app browsers to the default browser in contrast to Android intent links.

SFSVC (Safari View Controller) - akin to Tab View on Android - is used by many apps to open links over older in-app browsers. This view is very confusing to users. So much so that users give up trying to download assets. Apple is encouraging and pushing its app developers to use SFSVC in their apps. It also unlike Tab View on Android does not respect the user's default browser.

• 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	❌	❌ 🗑️	❌ 🗑️	✅	✅
Threads	❌ SFSVC	❌	❌ 🗑️	❌ 🗑️	✅	✅
Twitter	❌ SFSVC	❌	❌ 🗑️	❌ 🗑️	✅	✅
TikTok	❌	✅	❌ 📂	❌ 📂	✅	❌
WeChat	❌	✅	❌ 📝	❌ 📝	❌	❌
Telegram	❌	❌ working on it	❌ 📂	✅	✅	✅
Line	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Facebook	❌	✅	❌ 📂	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Instagram	❌	✅	❌ 📂	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Messenger	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	✅	❌
SnapChat	❌	✅	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	❌	❌
LinkedIn	❌	✅ add more UAs to appKey	❌ 🔇	❌ 📂	✅	✅
Google Search App	❌	❌ working on it	❌ 🔇	✅	✅	✅