How to open external link with WKWebView once already inside WebView?

Question

I've been on youtube, SO, and google for the last 3 hrs, I can't find the answer.

I can open the initial link to instagram via webView, once I'm inside the webView and I go to someone's bio and press whatever link they have nothing happens.

I went to my .plist and enabled App Transport Security > Arbitrary Loads > YES

I tried decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction but nothing happens:

class ViewController: WKNavigationDelegate {

    var webView: WKWebView!

    override func loadView() {
        webView = WKWebView()
        webView.navigationDelegate = self
        view = webView
    }

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        guard let url = URL(string: "https://www.instagram.com/apple") else { return }
        let request = URLRequest(url: url)

        webView.load(request)
        webView.allowsBackForwardNavigationGestures = true

        webView.addObserver(self, forKeyPath: #keyPath(WKWebView.isLoading), options: [.new], context: nil)
    }

    override func observeValue(forKeyPath keyPath: String?, of object: Any?, change: [NSKeyValueChangeKey : Any]?, context: UnsafeMutableRawPointer?) {
        if keyPath == "loading" {
            if webView.isLoading {
                view.addSubview(spinner)
            } else {
                spinner.removeFromSuperview()
            }
        }
    }

    func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, createWebViewWith configuration: WKWebViewConfiguration, for navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, windowFeatures: WKWindowFeatures) -> WKWebView? {
        if navigationAction.targetFrame == nil {
            webView.load(navigationAction.request)
        }
        return nil
    }

    func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, decisionHandler: @escaping (WKNavigationActionPolicy) -> Void) {

        switch navigationAction.navigationType {
        case .linkActivated:
            if navigationAction.targetFrame == nil {
                self.webView?.load(navigationAction.request)
            }
            if let url = navigationAction.request.url, !url.absoluteString.hasPrefix("http://www.myWebSite.com/example") {
                DispatchQueue.main.async {
                    UIApplication.shared.open(url, options: [:], completionHandler: nil)
                }
                print(url.absoluteString)
                decisionHandler(.cancel)
                return
            }
        default:
            break
        }

        if let url = navigationAction.request.url {
            print(url.absoluteString)
        }
        decisionHandler(.allow)
    }

    // tried this too
    func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, decisionHandler: @escaping (WKNavigationActionPolicy) -> Void) {
        var action: WKNavigationActionPolicy?

        defer {
            decisionHandler(action ?? .allow)
        }

        guard let url = navigationAction.request.url else { return }

        print(url)

        if navigationAction.navigationType == .linkActivated, url.absoluteString.hasPrefix("http://www.example.com/open-in-safari") {
            action = .cancel
            DispatchQueue.main.async {
                UIApplication.shared.open(url, options: [:], completionHandler: nil)
            }
        }
    }
}

@LanceSamaria can you please try adding web view as a subview of your main view? Instead of assigning it as controller's view. — Kushal Ashok, Jun 23 '19 at 04:00
@KushalAshok thanks for the suggest. It was a delegate the needed to get set. Happy coding — Lance Samaria, Jun 23 '19 at 04:07

Isuru · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-23T04:03:53.193

2

You need to conform to the WKUIDelegate as well.

webView.uiDelegate = self

Because you haven't, this delegate method isn't firing.

func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, createWebViewWith configuration: WKWebViewConfiguration, for navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, windowFeatures: WKWindowFeatures) -> WKWebView?

edited Jun 23 '19 at 04:03

answered Jun 23 '19 at 04:00

Isuru

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Thanks. That was definitely the answer. Surprisingly of all the hours I spent looking around your the only person who suggested that. Must be new??? I didn’t see that on YouTube, here, or any of the blogs either. Much appreciated Cheers – Lance Samaria Jun 23 '19 at 04:06
1

You're welcome Well, I didn't find the answer just by searching it verbatim. I noticed that when you click on links in IG bios, they open as new tabs in browsers. So I looked how new tabs is handled in `WKWebView` when I came across [this](https://stackoverflow.com/a/25853806/1077789) answer. Then I noticed that even though you have implemented that delegate method, it wasn't firing. The only possible conclusion is not conforming to the delegate. It trips you up sometimes when some frameworks have two separate delegates. – Isuru Jun 23 '19 at 04:22
It’s odd they would use 2 different delegates, that was unnecessarily hard. Makes no sense. However you found you helped me out. I was on this for hours, smh. They life of a developer ‍♂️ – Lance Samaria Jun 23 '19 at 04:24

How to open external link with WKWebView once already inside WebView?

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