Non-working link with “Add to Home Screen” on iOS

[j-conrad]

In Safari (iOS 11), while in a hub, using the “Add To Home Screen” function creates a shortcut that resides with other apps as expected. However, it creates an (A-frame?) icon and subsequently opening that app appears to open a webview instead of opening up an actual bookmark to that hub, which means the hub space doesn't open.

Note: using “Add To Home Screen” on the hubs.mozilla.com landing page makes a usable app button.
It would be useful to be able to make a series of app icons to easily return to previously-created/visited hub spaces.

Platform: iOS 11 / Safari / iPhone 6s

[cvan]

thanks for filing! this is being introduced in PR #317 (in progress, under reviewg). agreed that it's important - will fix it soon 👍

[gfodor]

this is (finally) getting looked at now via #1380. sorry it took so long :(

[misslivirose]

Since 1380 was merged, @j-conrad, can you verify that this is no longer an issue?

[j-conrad]

This is still not working. Just tested on Safari with iOS 12.4.
Same result as described in the original issue— app icon gets created, but only for hubs.mozilla.com, not the actual room you created. Icon is also still the A-Frame logo.

[misslivirose]

Thanks for verifying!

[gfodor]

Having it add a link to home screen for hubs.mozilla.com (not the room) is intended -- that's the landing page for the PWA. By introducing the PWA manifest for the site, it's no longer possible to create home screen links to specific rooms. (The web manifest dictates the launch URL.) We could support this if we wanted by serving up a room-level manifest on the room page, but I don't think that's desirable since the concept is that you are adding the "hubs app" to your phone. The icon is weird. It might just be cached on your phone, but we should try on another device to confirm.

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On Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 11:04 AM Liv ***@***.***> wrote: Thanks for verifying! — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#335>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AABVW5F6ZUMGNI5I3N3LBILQA5B2FANCNFSM4E5NBU4Q> .

[gfodor]

BTW, the flow to save rooms is intended to be favorite the room and launch the PWA to get the list of favorites. You could imagine this is how it'd work if you had a "Hubs app" you installed from the app store.

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On Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 11:42 AM Greg Fodor ***@***.***> wrote: Having it add a link to home screen for hubs.mozilla.com (not the room) is intended -- that's the landing page for the PWA. By introducing the PWA manifest for the site, it's no longer possible to create home screen links to specific rooms. (The web manifest dictates the launch URL.) We could support this if we wanted by serving up a room-level manifest on the room page, but I don't think that's desirable since the concept is that you are adding the "hubs app" to your phone. The icon is weird. It might just be cached on your phone, but we should try on another device to confirm. On Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 11:04 AM Liv ***@***.***> wrote: > Thanks for verifying! > > — > You are receiving this because you commented. > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > <#335>, > or mute the thread > <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AABVW5F6ZUMGNI5I3N3LBILQA5B2FANCNFSM4E5NBU4Q> > . >

[misslivirose]

Great, that makes sense. So the bug (in this case) would be if the A-Frame logo is still what shows up for iOS users when they save it to the home screen, if I'm understanding correctly. The rest is by design with the favorites feature and manifest.

[gfodor]

Yup. and we should confirm that A-Frame icon on another device. I'm pretty sure I tested it and the manifest is correct, so it might just be a cache on Jim's phone from the last time he installed it.

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On Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 11:54 AM Liv ***@***.***> wrote: Great, that makes sense. So the bug (in this case) would be if the A-Frame logo is still what shows up for iOS users when they save it to the home screen, if I'm understanding correctly. The rest is by design with the favorites feature and manifest. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#335>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AABVW5FA26KVVELQD2VNGD3QA5HWHANCNFSM4E5NBU4Q> .

[j-conrad]

Ok then. The A-frame icon only shows up if I attempt to do ‘Add to Home Screen’ with a Hubs room. It does not occur if I do it with the main landing page. Although it’d be cool if it used some logo other than a blank white rounded square. Looks like it attempts to grab a screenshot of the page or something.
— scratch that— It seems to work ok now. I get a little mini image of the page now. Must’ve been a holdover from the last time I did it.

[gfodor]

Ah not sure about that one either. Sounds like iOS does something weird with PWA icons, I must have overlooked it. Thanks for checking.

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On Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 7:09 PM j-conrad ***@***.***> wrote: Ok then. The A-frame icon only shows up if I attempt to do ‘Add to Home Screen’ with a Hubs room. It does not occur if I do it with the main landing page. Although it’d be cool if it used some logo other than a blank white rounded square. Looks like it attempts to grab a screenshot of the page or something. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#335>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AABVW5EASRGMLYO4YDFVEUTQA62U7ANCNFSM4E5NBU4Q> .

[cvan]

hiya, folks! opened PR #1557 to address.

some context around the icon / manifest weirdness:

• Apple shipped support in Safari for iOS 11.1 for parsing web-app manifests via <link rel="manifest"> but (for some reason) ignores the icons defined in the manifest. A <meta name="apple-touch-icon"> tag appears to be still required for the time being. (I assume that'll change in an upcoming release.)
• Having the Hubs scene page define its own <meta name="apple-touch-icon"> will fix the issue of A-Frame's injecting its own (which it does if it's missing, along with a few other Apple-proprietary <meta> tags.

[joshmarinacci]

I think this is fixed now, yes?

[misslivirose]

Confirming that the A-Frame logo no longer appears for a Hubs room. It's now the duck logo :)