1834832 - Instagram app link is not working as expected

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox for Android :: App Links, defect, P2)

Description

[Roger Yang [:royang]]

Steps to reproduce

1. Open a link to Instagram story (video) in Fenix
2. Tap on "Open app" on top right or "Get the Instagram app" on the bottom of the page.

Expected behavior

3. Open link in Instagram.

Actual behavior

4. Does nothing.

Comment 1

[Roger Yang [:royang]]

Looks like Instagram is doing something incorrect. It's Intent { act=android.intent.action.VIEW cat=[android.intent.category.BROWSABLE] dat=https://instagram.comclips_home/... flg=0x10000000 pkg=com.instagram.android (has extras) } fails to launch even though we found Instagram as the app that wants to open this link.

Since the intent also includes a fallback URL, it makes sense to try to launch the fallback URL if it's available.

Comment 2

[BMO Github Automation]

Attachment: [mozilla-mobile/firefox-android] Bug 1834832 - Attempt to launch the backoff URL when failed to launch app link intent (#2229)

Comment 3

[BMO Github Automation]

Authored by https://github.com/rocketsroger
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/firefox-android/commit/4966237f6d6eef89b6ac1291fe3702aa31033119
[main] Bug 1834832 - Attempt to launch the backoff URL when failed to launch app link intent

Comment 4

[Adina Petridean QA [:apetridean]]

On the latest Nighlty 115.0a1 from 02.06.2023 the actual result is that when tapping on "Open app" on top right or "Get the Instagram app" on the bottom of the page, the user is redirected to the Google play website - Instagram with the "Install on more devices button".

Tested with the following devices:
Motorola Moto G9 plus (Android 11)
Samsung GalaxyZ Fold 4 (Android 13)

Roger Yang is this the expected behavior?

Comment 5

[Adina Petridean QA [:apetridean]]

Attachment: Instagram.mp4

Comment 6

[Roger Yang [:royang]]

Hi Adina, Unfortunately that's the expected behaviour. The link that Instagram sends us fails to open and so we open the fall back URL. Until Instagram fixes this problem, the best we can do is this. Without the fix, when tapping on the "Open app" or "Install on more devices" button will do nothing which is not a good experience for the user. Thanks

Comment 7

[Adina Petridean QA [:apetridean]]

Thank you, Roger! Considering the comment above, I will remove the qe-verify+ flag and mark this issue as verified on the latest nightly.

Comment 8

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

(In reply to Roger Yang [:royang] from comment #6)

The link that Instagram sends us fails to open and so we open the fall back URL. Until Instagram fixes this problem, the best we can do is this.

Roger, does Instagram send the same broken link in Chrome? Or just Firefox? Did they change the links recently? Should we reach out to our contacts at Facebook about the Instagram links?

Without the fix, when tapping on the "Open app" or "Install on more devices" button will do nothing which is not a good experience for the user.

Should we uplift your fix to a 114 dot release? We have dot releases planned for next week and the week after (in case you want some more bake time for your fix in Nightly and Beta before uplifting).

Comment 9

[Roger Yang [:royang]]

(In reply to Chris Peterson [:cpeterson] from comment #8)

Roger, does Instagram send the same broken link in Chrome? Or just Firefox? Did they change the links recently? Should we reach out to our contacts at Facebook about the Instagram links?

No this is something I noticed while testing app links. On Chrome it redirects to Instagram but from looking at the intent that Instagram sends us, there is something broken there by them. I suspect Chrome created a workaround for Instagram.

Should we uplift your fix to a 114 dot release? We have dot releases planned for next week and the week after (in case you want some more bake time for your fix in Nightly and Beta before uplifting).

Unfortunately we still need this to ride the train. This fix was build on top of another app links refactor that fixed a few issues. This change can't be uplifted without uplifted the refactor.