New iOS App Blocks Those Annoying 'Open in App' Pop-Ups in Safari

[MacRumors]

You've probably experienced visiting a website like Reddit or LinkedIn on your iPhone only to be greeted with an annoying, almost full-screen pop-up urging you to view the content in their app instead of on the website.

It's a common practice for websites that have accompanying iOS apps to push users to open (if they already have the app installed) or download their app from the App Store to view the content they're trying to view. It can be very annoying for end-users, though, as these pop-ups are usually rather intrusive to the actual content, creating a subpar experience.

Thankfully, there is a new way to block these pop-ups within Safari on iPhone and iPad. Developer Alex Zamoshchin has created a new Safari extension called "Banish" (via Daring Fireball) that can run on iOS and iPadOS and is designed to specifically get rid of those pop-ups. The app, which costs $2, helps eliminate a majority of those pop-ups in popular web versions of apps, but it doesn’t get rid of similar banners that show up at the top of Safari to recommend opening the current page in an installed app.

The banner at the top of Safari is built into Safari and WebKit itself, so to get rid of those, you'll have to uninstall the respective app from your device. Banish, instead, gets rid of pop-ups implemented in the websites themselves.

To use Banish, download it from the App Store and follow the on-screen instructions to give the app the needed permission within Settings, Safari, and Extensions. You can learn more about Banish here.


Article Link: New iOS App Blocks Those Annoying 'Open in App' Pop-Ups in Safari

 

[Moonjumper]

Notice to website developers using this feature: If I was to move use to your app, it would likely be placed on the 8th home page of oblivion, never to be used again. Just let me use your website as a website.

 

[contacos]

What? No subscription?! Great, instant buy

 

[Samplasion]

Of course those websites want you to download their app, it's because they can show you more ads and track you. I'm glad solutions like Banish exist.

The banner at the top of Safari is built into Safari and WebKit itself, so to get rid of those, you'll have to uninstall the respective app from your device.

I believe you can hide them if you remove the apple-itunes-app meta property in the source code of the page. I haven't checked though.

Edit: nope, you can't

 

[kk200]

Apple needs to forbid splash ad screens in app. There are more and more apps show these annoying ad splash screens on startup, switch or even return from control center.

 

[Kalzem]

Of course those websites want you to download their app, it's because they can show you more ads and track you. I'm glad solutions like Banish exist.


I believe you can hide them if you remove the apple-itunes-app meta property in the source code of the page. I haven't checked though.

Edit: nope, you can't

For a website to show "Use the app" at the top, it just needs to have an info file at a specific location https://{website}/.well-known/apple-app-site-association like Twitter.

Your iPhone will ping that URL to know if it needs to show a "Use the app". So it might be possible to block this feature with a VPN or a router which filters all those URLs.

 

[Wanted797]

What? No subscription?! Great, instant buy

For now…

 

[contacos]

Apple needs to forbid splash ad screens in app. There are more and more apps show these annoying ad splash screens on startup, switch or even return from control center.

The worst are those game ads, which trick you into tapping the „x“ and still automatically redirect you to the App Store. Even on android, you get a pop up asking, if you really want to get to the store or continue what u r doing

 

[Samplasion]

For a website to show "Use the app" at the top, it just needs to have an info file at a specific location https://{website}/.well-known/apple-app-site-association like Twitter.

Your iPhone will ping that URL to know if it needs to show a "Use the app". So it might be possible to block this feature with a VPN or a router which filters all those URLs.

Github doesn't have that, but it has a smart banner. Plus that looks like a list of pages for which the phone would open the app instead of the site.
Besides, I'm looking at Apple's documentation and it doesn't mention that file.

 

[orbital~debris]

I like the functionality of the popups (if not always each specific implementation).

Getting switched to the app dedicated to that content often means fast access to a better viewing experience e.g. with native controls, easy adding to watch lists, more fluid/responsive features etc.

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

I wish there was a way to truest remove the constant cookie pop ups on every website

 

[LuminousFX]

Apart from using this app, is there like something like Peter Lowe's adtracking list to block such things?

 

[strongy]

Notice to website developers using this feature: If I was to move use to your app, it would likely be placed on the 8th home page of oblivion, never to be used again. Just let me use your website as a website.

it could be worse you could use the 'remove from home screen' option and banish it to the app library.

 

[dannys1]

For a website to show "Use the app" at the top, it just needs to have an info file at a specific location https://{website}/.well-known/apple-app-site-association like Twitter.

Your iPhone will ping that URL to know if it needs to show a "Use the app". So it might be possible to block this feature with a VPN or a router which filters all those URLs.

You could block this with pi-hole easily - I expect someone has already made a list for it.

 

[scrm]

I’ve had this app since reading about it on DF. It works great and the developer is very responsive too -- got an immediate response from him when I mailed him a site that didn’t block the pop-up (Substack.com).

Banish now joins Vinegar, 1Blocker and Noir in my arsenal of ‘make the web great again’ apps. Thanks Alex!

 

[1557750]

I’ll support this dev for $2

I’m sure it won’t be long till Apple brainwashes him into adding a subscription option by sending him some hypnotizing/subliminal email. But, what the hay…

 

[alayal]

I have “only” 45 apps in my iPhone and 7 are extensions to make Safari work as it should. It is so annoying the way website behaves these days. I also have removes many apps and replace them for the websites for ad blocking and privacy concerns.

 

[NoelWalker]

Now make one to remove cookies setting pop-ups. I would pay another $2 for that

 

[nottorp]

I like the functionality of the popups (if not always each specific implementation).

Getting switched to the app dedicated to that content often means fast access to a better viewing experience e.g. with native controls, easy adding to watch lists, more fluid/responsive features etc.

Maybe in 5% of cases. The rest restrict how you can manipulate the information in that app. Not to mention that I'm not going to install apps for every site that i visit once every 24 months because it was linked to from a site i actually visit. Yet they deem to take half my screen with 'use the app so we can track you better!' instead of letting me read and maybe decide I'm interested...

 

[nottorp]

Now make one to remove cookies setting pop-ups. I would pay another $2 for that

Desktop users have those for free. But Apple won't allow uBlock origin etc...

 

[albozr]

I can see apple adding this natively in a future iOS update

 

[antiprotest]

You would think the EU would have done something about that by now.

 

[1557750]

Now if we can just get one to block the “sign up to get 10% off you first order” pop-ups I’ll be pretty happy.

 

[nwcs]

Now make one to remove cookies setting pop-ups. I would pay another $2 for that

I think what you are looking for is the Hush Nag Blocker app.

 

[Blue Hawk]

Now make one to remove cookies setting pop-ups. I would pay another $2 for that

Super Agent is the best you can find