Dedicated apps wont load from email links etc.

[WPCentral Question]

I have noticed that when hitting a link for say LinkedIn or facebook within and email it will load in IE and not the dedicated app on my WP.
Is there a fix or is this developer oversight?

 

[gpobernardo]

I have noticed that when hitting a link for say LinkedIn or facebook within and email it will load in IE and not the dedicated app on my WP.
Is there a fix or is this developer oversight?

This is standard, perhaps for security reasons. Allowing links to access certain apps may post a vulnerability issue to the OS, but by using IE the security of the links are verified (through IE) in the process of accessing them. This security verification may not be available when apps are allowed to open links, or when apps are opened when links are accessed. With this, I would say that there is no fix (since there's nothing to "fix") and that this is not really an "oversight".

However, with future OS developments, more secure app integration might enable this feature - of opening apps instead of IE when tapping on links. In fact, this is already partially working but only for the Windows phone store (e.g. when you receive an email with a link to a windows phone app, tapping on the link opens the store automatically... a few moments after it opens IE for a few seconds.)

You may want to create a Windows Central account to track responses to your query easily.

 

[Adam Len]

Thanks for the reply gpobernado, i created an account as suggested.
The reason i bring this up is that on an iPad/iPhone it is able to, I was just surprised that the WP wasn't able to.
I would think that with smart phones and being able to go direct to apps from email links etc would be a standard feature.
I do hope they implement this feature, with how much everything is about integration i'm surprised this was missed.

 

[gpobernardo]

Thanks for the reply gpobernado, i created an account as suggested.
The reason i bring this up is that on an iPad/iPhone it is able to, I was just surprised that the WP wasn't able to.
I would think that with smart phones and being able to go direct to apps from email links etc would be a standard feature.
I do hope they implement this feature, with how much everything is about integration i'm surprised this was missed.

This is, in my opinion actually, a good idea. I was also looking for this feature with my first Windows phone (7), but since it still wasn't implemented in WP8 and WP8.1, there must have been a reason - which could be security-related (since MS has been partially emphasizing their "Sand boxing" technology that prevents third-party apps from accessing, modifying or controlling other apps (third-party or not)).

I hope this will be a feature in Windows (phone) 10... but of course without compromising our security. If someone who's participating in the Technical Preview reads your idea (or at least has the same line of thought - or you could join the Tech Prev program yourself, already), we might be seeing this feature very soon.

Oh, and welcome to Windows Central!:angel:

 

[Adam Len]

Yeah i am very keen to join the tech Preview but i have a lumia 930.... Soon enough i can and will definitely add it to the suggesstion. I'm sure they can work out a way to have it work.