Google Offers Chrome Integration Options For iOS App Developers

In a recent blog post, Google is highlighting an interesting option for iOS developers who would like to add Chrome integration into an app. Normally, app developers have two choices to let users see content on the Web: create their own browser frame inside the app or have the information open up in the default browser for iOS devices, Safari. But with the code, called OpenInChromeController class, developers can allow users to open a page in Chrome and then return to the app with just one tap. As you can see in the included photo, a YouTube user has opened a link in Chrome. They can return to the app by simply hitting the YouTube button in the top left corner. The blog post also offered more information on how developers can add the feature:

After you've downloaded the OpenInChromeController class and added it to your project, you’ll be able to check if Chrome is installed, and if so, send links to Chrome with or without x-callback enabled. Additionally, you can specify whether or not to open a new tab when sending a link to Chrome.

This information follows the recent update to the Gmail client for iOS that made a change to how links are handled. In the newest version of the app, links from YouTube, Google Maps, and Chrome can open in the respective iOS apps. I’m glad to see Google giving developers another choice on how to handle Web content inside their apps. But I totally agree with my colleague Bryan M. Wolfe, who recently said Apple should let users pick their own default apps in iOS.

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