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chromium-embeddedchrome-custom-tabs

Is Chrome Custom Tabs affected by the new Google Chromium Embedded Framework restrictions?


We need to implement browser operations that do not utilize the default webview on Android. We are looking at the option of using chrome custom tabs.

My concern is google has recently announced new that they will be blocking logins from embedded browser frameworks e.g. Chromium Embedded Framework.

See https://9to5google.com/2019/04/18/google-block-man-in-the-middle

I have spent a fair bit of time researching this and am struggling to find an answer online.

Does anyone know if this restriction/block affects Chrome Custom Tabs? I guess it ultimately means does Chrome Custom Tabs utilize Chromium Embedded Framework


Solution

  • Chrome Custom Tabs is not implemented using Chromium Embedded Framework, but is a service provided by the Chrome Browser.

    A couple of important points from https://developer.chrome.com/multidevice/android/customtabs

    As of Chrome 45, Chrome Custom Tabs is now generally available to all users of Chrome, on all of Chrome's supported Android versions (Jellybean onwards).

    All versions of Chrome supporting Chrome Custom Tabs expose a service. To check whether Chrome supports custom tabs, try to bind to the service. If it succeeds, then custom tabs can safely be used.

    Provide a fallback for when Custom Tabs is not installed Although Custom Tabs is available for the great majority of users, there are some scenarios where a browser that supports Custom Tabs is not installed on the device or the device does not support a browser version that has Custom Tabs enabled. Make sure to provide a fallback that provides a good user experience by either opening the default browser or using your own WebView implementation.