How does Xamarin.Essentials.Browser.OpenAsync open a specific browser insted of default browser?

Question

Hi,

There are two browsers installed op the Android device: Chrome and my customer browser. The customer browser is default.

In some case in this customer browser , Chrome need to be started.

How does Xamarin.Essentials.Browser.OpenAsync/Launcher.TryOpenAsync open a specific browser (Chrome) instead of default browser?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hello,​

Welcome to our Microsoft Q&A platform!

In some case in this customer browser , Chrome need to be started. How does Xamarin.Essentials.Browser.OpenAsync/Launcher.TryOpenAsync open a specific browser (Chrome) instead of default browser?

You can set BrowserLaunchMode to SystemPreferred, Launch the optimized system browser and stay inside of your application. (Chrome Custom Tabs and SFSafariViewController). it will open url by Chrome Custom Tabs in your application.

If you want to invoke chrome application to open the url. Xamarin.Essentials.Browser.OpenAsync cannot achieve it. But you can use dependence Service to achieve it.

Firstly, create a interface in the Forms.

   public interface IOpenUrlService  
       {  
           void GetURLByChrome(string url);  
       }  

Then invoke the dependenceService to open the url by chrome.

   DependencyService.Get<IOpenUrlService>().GetURLByChrome("https://www.google.com.hk/");  

In the end, Implement the interface on android platform. Achieve this is to use the Intent.ACTION_VIEW intent as normal, but add the package com.android.chrome to the intent. This works regardless of whether Chrome is the default browser and ensures exactly the same behavior as if the user had selected Chrome from the chooser list.

   [assembly: Dependency(typeof(OpenUrlService))]  
   namespace App7.Droid  
   {  
       internal class OpenUrlService : IOpenUrlService  
       {  
           public void GetURLByChrome(string url)  
           {  
          
               
               Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ActionView, Android.Net.Uri.Parse(url));  
               intent.AddFlags( ActivityFlags.NewTask);  
               intent.SetPackage("com.android.chrome");  
               try  
               {  
                   Android.App.Application.Context.StartActivity(intent);  
               }  
               catch (ActivityNotFoundException ex)  
               {  
                   // Chrome browser presumably not installed so allow user to choose instead  
                   intent.SetPackage(null);  
                   Android.App.Application.Context.StartActivity(intent);  
               }  
           }  
       }  
   }  

Best Regards,

Leon Lu

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Answer 2

Thanks, Leon.