Firefox doesn't open links in external apps
I am running Firefox 124.0.1 on Mac OS Sonoma 14.4.1.
I set Firefox as my default browser. However, when I have links that should redirect and open in an external application (Apple News, Facebook Messenger, etc.), Firefox does not redirect to these external applications. I have searched the FAQ and the internet but haven't seen an answer to this. As a result I have switched my default browser back to Edge, which functions as expected.
All Replies (2)
Is this a link like protocol://https://xxxx.xxx ? Leave out the two // and only use the protocol and the colon and the URL.
- protocol://URL => protocol:URL
cor-el said
Is this a link like protocol://https://xxxx.xxx ? Leave out the two // and only use the protocol and the colon and the URL.
- protocol://URL => protocol:URL
Here is a sample link: https://apple.news/ArcrPYZ22ShOv3HHVhPmzyQ?articleList=AE7tYMUQNSiuTjceRFk4m9Q,A4n-zguK7Tlygmr85mf4vJw,ArcrPYZ22ShOv3HHVhPmzyQ,AKxz4g-baS1K56DGhpBzjQg,A4e6Ok-xWT76nhynqOYxwZA,AiHsg1CuEQc2bxE7xzdwE_Q,AQx0rj9k3QL-ePkh1oGKC6w,AMV7x_ksnSoSur4rT7Uof1A,Aviw5qdUfQomf53Rfoce0wA,AzYvE1AoyQyiN0nairuJS8g,AS3rSUUqdRy2u0Hu_YQR60A,A0r6vlGggRdGA-OVYTwDGxQ,A6NuhVZ9sTZG4LAVcx_X9HQ,AfNkmsl3vTquaHISlWl5T7g&campaign_id=E101&campaign_type=b9bfc3d1-f673-4a33-988c-417842716eac/default&creative_id=daily_v2_summary_item-3-6:summary
When that link is opened in Microsoft Edge or Safari, a redirect page is opened and then the content is opened in the Apple News app. This is significant because in the Apple News app I can read the entire article due to my subscription to Apple News+. However, in Firefox it redirects to the article on the Wall Street Journal website which is behind a paywall because I do not have a subscription to The Wall Street Journal.
Another instance was attempting to login to the Facebook Messenger app. It opens a window in a browser to login to Facebook and then redirect back to Facebook Messenger with appropriate tokens(?) to login. When, Firefox is the default browser, I am directed to Facebook to login, but Firefox does not appropriately redirect back to Facebook Messenger with the login information so that I can then be logged into Facebook Messenger. Switching to a different default browser allows the correct flow from Messenger to browser (Facebook login) back to Messenger to be successfully logged in.
Hopefully this provides a clearer picture of the how the behavior of Firefox is different from other browsers. Perhaps this is intentional for some type of security. However, an app reaching out to login to a site to login via a browser and then redirecting back to the app is not uncommon. Another app that I believe does this same thing is the HP Smart app.