CODEWITHSUNDEEP
iosipadsafari
MattInglot
MattInglot

Reputation: 23

Force a Link to PDF to Open in a Specific App When Clicked on in iPad Browser?

I have a client request that I am trying to fullfill, but running up against a wall. I've been asked to create PDF links that open in a specific iPad reader app, such as iBooks or GoodReader, instead of the iPad default. Assume a standard iPad configuration (eg they are most likely using Safari). They have a good reason for doing it, mainly that GoodReader/iBooks both handle links to remote PDFs within PDFs more gracefully, and unfortunately that's a requirement.

I am pretty convinced (and I have done some research on Google but nothing definitive) that this can't be done. eg we have no control over what the iPad does with the PDF once we link to it. But then I am not very familiar with the iPad environment or what sort of browser extensions/hacks it supports.

I am open to alternative suggestions that will accomplish the same goal. The main goal is to create a seamless experience for a small group of people. So it should "just work" for them.

Edit: by just work I mean they should open a PDF link from browser and get correct reader. If there is a way to do this via an iPad configuration that is great too, but I have run against a similiar wall in getting that behavior too.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 6774

Answers (1)

MattInglot
MattInglot

Reputation: 23

FYI for anyone else that stumbles on this:

We ended up taking a different direction. It seems that iPad/Safari get to choose what happens to your PDF. We ended up taking the route of minimizing links in PDFs instead. The closest we got to an actual solution was hacks that some PDF readers use to change the protocol: eg ghttp:// for url that opens in GoodReader. Did not find this to be an acceptable approach.

Upvotes: 1

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