mailto: link in UIWebView - Does Not work

Question

Is the areanything special you need in html or Callbacks in a UIWebView to handle anchor tags with an href, or is there something special about an anchor tag with a mailto link in the href?

Elbert

Answer 1

In your UIWebView's delegate, do:

- (BOOL)webView:(UIWebView *)webView shouldStartLoadWithRequest:(NSURLRequest *)request navigationType:(UIWebViewNavigationType)navigationType {
    if ([[[request URL] scheme] isEqual:@"mailto"]) {
        [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[request URL]];
        return NO;
    }
    return YES;
}

Autonomic

In Swift 4 func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, decisionHandler: @escaping (WKNavigationActionPolicy) -> Void) { if (request.url?.scheme == "mailto") { UIApplication.shared.open(request.url).... – Biographer

Answer 2

I noticed that when running in the iPhone simulator, I could click on an HTTP link in my UIWebView and it would open in Safari, but when I clicked on a mailto link nothing would happen. But when I deployed the app to a real device, it worked. I expect the reason is because there is no mail app on the simulator, but there is Safari.

Kopeck

No email app on the iOS Simulator. D'oh! That never crossed my mind. Thanks for ending my confusion and frustration. – Mcclimans

Answer 3

I wanted to note that this is probably not the best solution.

UIWebView does have a property called dataDetectorTypes - setting this to all or address should solve your problem without overriding the Method mentioned above:

myWebView.dataDetectorTypes = UIDataDetectorTypeAll; //or UIDataDetectorTypeAddress etc..

But be aware that this might not work on the simulator - I tried it with the iPad 6.0 Simulator where it's not working although on an iPad Device it's working like a charm!

Aslant

Answer 4

Working example for Swift 4: 3 cases are treated, expand as needed.

1. mailto-link is working
2. some URL is clicked that you want to open in Webview itself

3. open all other URLs in mobile safari

   func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, decisionHandler: @escaping (WKNavigationActionPolicy) -> Void) {
   
   if let url = navigationAction.request.url {
       if (url.scheme == "mailto") {
           // mailto: link is clicked
           UIApplication.shared.open(url)
           decisionHandler(.cancel)
           return
       }
       if (url.absoluteString.contains("www.example.com/webviewURL")) {
           // Load this stuff in WebView
           decisionHandler(.allow)
           return
       } else {
           // open any other URL in mobile Safari
           UIApplication.shared.open(url)
           decisionHandler(.cancel)
           return
       }
   }
   
   decisionHandler(.cancel)
   return
   }
   

Rupiah