Android Central - Link glitches via Google

[ajacobs79]

Hi! First let me say I'm a proud brand-new owner of a Graphite 6P on Project Fi. So far I'm incredibly happy with both! I discovered a glitch today with regard to Google/Android Central. When I did a Google search for something, an AC Forums linked came up. I clicked the link, and it was a series of false starts...nothing opened. I clicked another link to an article in the Android Central app, and my phone opened the app and then the site in a Chrome window. When opening other links via Google (e.g., Yelp) there doesn't seem to be the same issue.

So...my question is, would this be a glitch within Chrome, Android, or is it something else I'm not thinking of. Thanks in advance for all your input!!!

 

[LeoRex]

I've seen this myself, but I am on N right now, and the inter-app linking has some new stuff, so it might be an unfinished product.... when I click an AC link in something like Hangouts, it'll pop a list of browsers... Chrome basically. Then it throws that link to Chrome, and Chrome then recognizes that the link can be handled by the AC app and gives you that option instead.

I suspect it is a bug with the AC app... I see it with both the main AC app and the AC Forums app. I don't think they are properly registering themselves with Android as a target for androidcentral.com links. If it DID, I would suspect that they would show up in the list of possible targets when I first clicked on the link in the external app.

EDIT: It might be an Android bug... and it isn't handling web links like that properly. I need to test with some other web/app links...

 

[Javier P]

Yeah, same here with a different phone.

 

[LeoRex]

OK..I did some testing....

If I clear my defaults and click on a Google+ link, Google+ shows up in the list of possible targets. Same goes for any Google app. But if I click on a web link that is listed as a supported target for a NON-Google app, like an android central link, it only gives me the browsers I have installed.

You know, I am beginning to suspect that this is actually a bit more than just an AC thing... it almost looks like there was an API change to the inter-app linking feature. Google's apps would obviously have a better chance of getting updated with something like a tweak to the API while 3rd Party apps might be caught unawares. So those other apps aren't properly set up to show up in that target list.

So basically, we're back to square one... is this an app bug (or an issue of apps not having the latest/greatest) or an Android bug.

But you are not crazy...

 

[ajacobs79]

I've seen this myself, but I am on N right now, and the inter-app linking has some new stuff, so it might be an unfinished product.... when I click an AC link in something like Hangouts, it'll pop a list of browsers... Chrome basically. Then it throws that link to Chrome, and Chrome then recognizes that the link can be handled by the AC app and gives you that option instead.

I suspect it is a bug with the AC app... I see it with both the main AC app and the AC Forums app. I don't think they are properly registering themselves with Android as a target for androidcentral.com links. If it DID, I would suspect that they would show up in the list of possible targets when I first clicked on the link in the external app.

EDIT: It might be an Android bug... and it isn't handling web links like that properly. I need to test with some other web/app links...

Thanks so much for posting! My initial thought was also that it's an AC bug. Reason being is I had no problem on my previous device, an HTC One M8 also running Marshmallow. And because other sites (the aforementioned Yelp) opened the app without issue. Let me know if you find anything else out in your testing. I'll do the same!

 

[ajacobs79]

OK..I did some testing....

If I clear my defaults and click on a Google+ link, Google+ shows up in the list of possible targets. Same goes for any Google app. But if I click on a web link that is listed as a supported target for a NON-Google app, like an android central link, it only gives me the browsers I have installed.

You know, I am beginning to suspect that this is actually a bit more than just an AC thing... it almost looks like there was an API change to the inter-app linking feature. Google's apps would obviously have a better chance of getting updated with something like a tweak to the API while 3rd Party apps might be caught unawares. So those other apps aren't properly set up to show up in that target list.

So basically, we're back to square one... is this an app bug (or an issue of apps not having the latest/greatest) or an Android bug.

But you are not crazy...

Wow...I truly appreciate all the testing. I think you're onto something about certain apps, especially non-Google ones, not being fully optimized. Since my 6P has the absolute latest updates, it's possible app companies haven't fully caught up.

 

[LeoRex]

Wow...I truly appreciate all the testing. I think you're onto something about certain apps, especially non-Google ones, not being fully optimized. Since my 6P has the absolute latest updates, it's possible app companies haven't fully caught up.

Well, there are a ton of moving parts... It's the fact that some apps don't pop in that initial list. I just don't have a set pattern of failure...

But keep in mind... You see it, I see it, other moderators and ambassadors see it.. that means a bunch of people see it, and I assume Google and the devs will see it too.

Now, this might be something buried in the Google play side updates and not the core OS... The former can get fixed on a update, the latter needs a new build. The fact that I see it, on N, and others see it, on M... I'm hoping that it's something in Google Play Services.

 

[ajacobs79]

Well, there are a ton of moving parts... It's the fact that some apps don't pop in that initial list. I just don't have a set pattern of failure...

But keep in mind... You see it, I see it, other moderators and ambassadors see it.. that means a bunch of people see it, and I assume Google and the devs will see it too.

Now, this might be something buried in the Google play side updates and not the core OS... The former can get fixed on a update, the latter needs a new build. The fact that I see it, on N, and others see it, on M... I'm hoping that it's something in Google Play Services.

Excellent insight...thank you again! It's always nice to learn more about how everything is interconnected. These are incredibly complex devices, and I can't even imagine what it's like to make everything work as it should. Anyway, hopefully it'll get addressed and fixed one way or another!