Force video to open in Youtube app on Android

Question

I have a mobile website that links to a youtube video. On Android, clicking on this link brings up a dialog asking the user to "Complete action using" their browser or the Youtube app.

Is there a way to bypass this screen and just play the video in the Youtube app? (For example with a youtube:// URL.)

Thanks!

score 22 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 29 '15 at 05:35

22

Here's how you can do that:

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("vnd.youtube://" + id));
startActivity(intent);

The id is the identifier after the questionmark in the url. For example: youtube.com/watch?v=ID

Another way is:

Intent videoIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
videoIntent.setData(url);
videoIntent.setClassName("com.google.android.youtube", "com.google.android.youtube.WatchActivity");
startActivity(videoIntent);

......

edited Sep 29 '15 at 05:35

httpNick

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answered Jun 20 '12 at 07:01

Tim

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Thanks, I'll try the vnd.youtube:// URL tomorrow and see if it works. – tba Jun 20 '12 at 07:18
Is there a way to check (from a mobile website) whether a device can open vnd.youtube:// URLs? I would like my site to open vnd.youtube:// URL for Android and a regular http://youtube.com/watch? link for iOS. – tba Jun 21 '12 at 23:31
At least none that I know, sorry – Tim Jun 22 '12 at 07:45
Do you know the link for youtube channels ? – Akram Lazkanee Oct 16 '15 at 13:41
For my case, 1st way by id works well, but 2nd way does not. – cwc Sep 22 '16 at 16:53
Thanks this works. I am just wondering what will happen if use does not have YouTube app? – Teoman shipahi Oct 13 '16 at 04:14

sanath_p · Answer 2 · 2017-02-22T21:16:18.067

8

The best way

try {

     Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("vnd.youtube://" + id));
     intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
     startActivity(intent);

} catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) {

    // youtube is not installed.Will be opened in other available apps

    Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("https://youtube.com/watch?v=" + id));
    startActivity(i);
}

edited Feb 22 '17 at 21:16

answered Feb 06 '15 at 07:51

sanath_p

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I tried to use your solution but I got "cannot resolve symbol content". Can you please explain to me what is this content? – Marcos Guimaraes Feb 20 '17 at 15:16

Casper · Answer 3 · 2017-12-25T03:29:52.823

Try to use a JavaScript redirection like the following:

window.location = "vnd.youtube://the.youtube.video.url";

More comprehensively:

if( /Android/i.test(navigator.userAgent ) ) {
    // If the user is using an Android device.
    setTimeout(function () { window.location = "market://details?id=com.google.android.youtube"; }, 25);
    window.location = "vnd.youtube://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yourVideoId";
}

If Youtube app is disabled, the timeout function will redirect you to the youtube app on the play store to let you enable the app. The second redirect will pop up and play the youtube video on Android Youtube app.

If you are already switched to the YouTube app within the timeout interval, the timeout function will not be called and you are not switched to the play store but stay in the YouTube app.

Force video to open in Youtube app on Android

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