Use default browser app when opening external links

[BaLuX]

Good evening. It looks like Steam Mobile on Android forcibly uses chrome to open external links. Is there a way to make it open links via my default browser app?

I tried disabling chrome but I couldn't open external links at all.

[henrebotha]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Kurtz (OP):

I just installed the Steam Mobile App and when using Chrome browser app and trying to open any Steam related link, the Steam Mobile app opens automatically even if you forced the app to close.

This is not the issue being discussed here.

[henrebotha]

Początkowo opublikowane przez ⎛ Alucard ⎞ ✟:

Recently all Steam related links oppen in this ♥♥♥♥♥♥ app instead in the browser.

This is, again, not the issue being discussed here.

[henrebotha]

I experience the same problem. If I disable Chrome, attempting to open a link from inside the Steam app does nothing (it just returns to the screen where the link was). If I enable Chrome, but set Firefox as default browser, links in the Steam app open in Chrome.

Hardware: Samsung S10 (SM-G973F/DS)
OS: Android 12/One UI 4.1
Software: Steam 3.5/Firefox 111.1.1/Chrome 112.0.5615.48. Firefox set as default browser. No fancy launchers or anything like that.

[Roland]

Początkowo opublikowane przez henrebotha:

I experience the same problem. If I disable Chrome, attempting to open a link from inside the Steam app does nothing (it just returns to the screen where the link was). If I enable Chrome, but set Firefox as default browser, links in the Steam app open in Chrome.

I just discovered I too am having this issue.

(side note: I find it interesting that the original post is as old as some bugs i found in the client Beta that still aren't fixed.)

[Sérgio]

+1 on that bug

[Scoot (fragmer)]

I use Firefox mobile set as my default browser and Steam is the only app that insists on opening links in Chrome.

[~~MetaKnight~~]

I find it no coincidence that Firefox is not as easy to install on Steam Deck as Google Chrome.

[Sniper296]

Same here. Steam opening any links in Chrome despite Firefox being set as the default browser in app defaults.

[Thrawcheld]

This is such a basic point of app behaviour. Use the user's preferred browser. How to respect this preference is well documented and there is no reason for devs to make extra work for themselves figuring out how to open something else instead. It's also rude to assume I want use Chrome - actually, I don't trust Chrome and want to use Firefox instead. So let me do that!

[Sniper296]

TL;DR: Not Valve's fault entirely (mostly Google's good intentions), notified support, hopefully fix soon™.

Just decompiled the app (thanks Android for using Java) to see why it does this.

This appears to be a result of using resolveActivity in the OpenLinkInExternalBrowser function in com/valvesoftware/android/steam/community/ValveHelpersModule.java

ResolveInfo resolveActivity = getReactApplicationContext().getPackageManager().resolveActivity(new Intent("android.intent.action.VIEW", Uri.parse("http://")), 65536);
String str2 = (resolveActivity == null || resolveActivity.activityInfo == null || resolveActivity.activityInfo.packageName.isEmpty()) ? "com.android.chrome" : resolveActivity.activityInfo.packageName;

Since Android 11/API 30, resolveActivity has returned null unless declared in the manifest using <queries>[developer.android.com], which it currently isn't.

Due to this, it will always fall back to com.android.chrome on Android 11+ (maybe also on older devices?), ignoring the user's preferences, or worse, doing absolutely nothing when Chrome is either unavailable or disabled.

So, technically it isn't Valve's fault, but ironically Google's fault in trying to improve privacy. Though, Valve should be checking the docs before targeting a newer API.

I have reported this directly to Steam support. Hopefully they will pass the info on to the Android app team, who can fix it with one small edit to the Manifest.xml

[vlad_8011]

Same here. Moto g82, android 12.

[Sniper296]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Steam Support:

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We will investigate this matter and take appropriate action.

[BaLuX]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Sniper296:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Steam Support:

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We will investigate this matter and take appropriate action.

Thank you for your contribution to this issue!

[Space Hooligan Zack]

Hope this gets fixed soon, because I've been mildly annoyed by this issue as well

[Roland]

It's been a little while, but this is still very much a thing and hasn't changed.