Behavior of Intent.ACTION_VIEW with Browser.EXTRA_APPLICATION_ID changed
This is regards to another application issuing startActivity Intent.ACTION_VIEW on Firefox of a URI with Browser.EXTRA_APPLICATION_ID set.
Previously, it worked so (the syntax is not to be taken literally). startActivity(ACTION_VIEW, uri="http://example.com/a.htm", app="MySpecialTab") -> opened a tab with a.htm startActivity(ACTION_VIEW, uri="http://example.com/b.htm", app="MySpecialTab") -> used same tab for b.htm startActivity(ACTION_VIEW, uri="http://example.com/b.htm", app="MySpecialTab") -> used same tab for b.htm and refreshed.
Now, with the most recent release: startActivity(ACTION_VIEW, uri="http://example.com/a.htm", app="MySpecialTab") -> opened a tab with a.htm startActivity(ACTION_VIEW, uri="http://example.com/b.htm", app="MySpecialTab") -> opened a new tab for b.htm startActivity(ACTION_VIEW, uri="http://example.com/b.htm", app="MySpecialTab") -> does not refresh.
I went looking for some config but couldn't find anything. The fact that I can't get it to refresh is a bigger deal-breaker than the fact that it opens more tabs.
All Replies (8)
Hi
I am sorry but I do not understand your question. What are you trying to do in Firefox for Android, what is the page that you are trying to view?
I am using another application on Android to send an Intent to Firefox (on Android) to view a URI. It used to work fine, it does not work the same now. The specific URIs are irrelevant; they are reachable and they work.
I am speaking of the difference between different releases of Fenix (Firefox).
Novain'i RenateUSB t@
What are you trying to send and from app are you trying to send it to Firefox for Android?
So, here you go. It's not a question of it not working. It's a question of the behavior changed in the latest version of Firefox.
Intent intent = new Intent();
intent.setPackage("org.mozilla.firefox");
intent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
intent.setData(Uri.parse(link));
intent.putExtra(Browser.EXTRA_APPLICATION_ID, tab);
startActivity(intent);
What is the address of the website that you are trying to open in Firefox for Android?
Seriously, this has nothing to do with website addresses or connectivity. I can hit the URLs just fine. I can manually refresh using the little "arrows in a circle" refresh button on Firefox. The issue is that previously android.content.Intent used to always cause a refresh and now it doesn't. See the above code.
Let me show you the problem an equivalent way. In ADB shell (not even rooted).
$ am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d https://httpstat.us/ -e com.android.browser.application_id MyTab
I can do this any number of times (on the older Firefox, 68.11.0) and it always goes to the same tab and it refreshes (the big X appears, the strip progresses, it refreshes the screen). On the newer Firefox, 96.1.1 it does not refresh on a new Intent. I am using URL which do not redirect as that complicates things. The example above does not redirect either.
So, somewhere between 68 and 96 something changed. I just thought somebody might know when and if there is a work around for this.
Ok, this is clearly something that worked fine in Fennec and Fenix broke it/never implemented it. Where can I download Fennec 68.11.0?
Found it: https://download.mozilla.org/?product=fennec-latest&os=android&lang=multi
I filed a bug: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/23329
Novain'i RenateUSB t@
Okay, thank you. Please follow the issue that you have raised for progress on this matter.