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I have a mobile web app designed as a single place for employees of our company to help them locate various online resources. The app has a lot of in-app content, but also provides links to external partner websites. My issue is a common one with a bit of a twist. I like the way the app looks in standalone mode on an iphone, but am struggling to figure out a solution for keeping the app in stand-alone mode, while also providing the ability to open external links in safari. I know how to keep the app in standalone mode when links are clicked, but when an external link is clicked, one of two problems occurs:

1) If I code the external link to keep it in standalone mode, there is no way to navigate back to my app from the external site as the back button is obviously no longer available.

2) If I code the external link to open in safari, when the user is done with the external link, the session for my app is closed and the user has to go back to their homescreen and re-open it again. (I know I can code it so that they will return to where they were in the session, but this is not the solution I want).

My question is this, is there a way to open external links ON TOP OF a standalone web app session? So that when the external link is closed, the standalone web app session appears?

I've read that I can use AJAX to open external links within the active session, but I don't know how to do this and can't find anything online that explains it well. Any help would be MUCH appreciated.

My app functions fine in safari, but looks SO much better in standalone mode; I would be SO appreciative if anyone can provide a solution. I am also willing to discuss paying someone to help with this as well.

Cheers,

SC

Steve C.
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1 Answers1

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Turn your app into an actual app, not just a web site. You should implement your own web browser in your app using UIWebView. It's very simple. You probably only need a back button and a close button, you don't need a full search/address bar, bookmarks, etc. UIWebView and two buttons will do it.

As soon as you switch apps to Safari you will see the behavior you have described - there's no getting around it. Your only choice is not to exit.

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/uikit/reference/UIWebView_Class/Reference/Reference.html

jsd
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  • Thanks jsd for your prompt response, unfortunately, building a native app is not an option for us as we do not want to distribute the app through the app store nor deal with the app store in terms of their need to review content, etc. Based on the second part of your response, there is really no way to do what I am looking for outside of using a native app shell with uiwebview loading the webapp content inside. Bummer... – Steve C. Nov 07 '13 at 17:45
  • If it's an app for your company you do not need to distribute on the app store, and you don't need to go through review. You can distribute ad-hoc, or enterprise. – jsd Nov 07 '13 at 21:28