All Devices Stop iOS apps from launching Safari

[inkswamp]

Is there really no way in iOS 13 to stop applications from launching Safari?

I've noticed lately one of the new tactics with in-app ads is to make the close button so small or unresponsive that you accidentally tap the wrong place and open the ad. That launches Safari which in turn sends you to the App store. Really tiresome constantly having to backtrack and close windows I didn't mean to open. And that's to say nothing of whatever info about you the advertiser and app maker are tracking in that Safari URL.

We've learned this lesson so many times in personal technology: allowing applications to automatically open other things is almost always a recipe for disaster. I'm surprised to find out today that there's no way to block apps from doing this—unless I'm missing something.

 

[0128672]

Is there really no way in iOS 13 to stop applications from launching Safari?

I've noticed lately one of the new tactics with in-app ads is to make the close button so small or unresponsive that you accidentally tap the wrong place and open the ad. That launches Safari which in turn sends you to the App store. Really tiresome constantly having to backtrack and close windows I didn't mean to open. And that's to say nothing of whatever info about you the advertiser and app maker are tracking in that Safari URL.

We've learned this lesson so many times in personal technology: allowing applications to automatically open other things is almost always a recipe for disaster. I'm surprised to find out today that there's no way to block apps from doing this—unless I'm missing something.

I've seen that happen in a couple of games. Which app(s) are you referring to? I suppose you could give the app developer your feedback, leave a review, and/or stop using that app.

 

[inkswamp]

I have sent feedback, but I don't see a complaint doing much against the financial incentive of more clicks on their ads.

Seeing this mainly in a few games I play (Words with Friends, Wordscapes, Crosswords... etc.) but also other apps intermittently.

 

[inkswamp]

And now one day after posting this, I get an ad that literally jumps me over to the App Store with no interaction from me. 😡

Obviously this is a shortcoming in the design of iOS. Probably nothing I can do about it other than submit a complaint/request to Apple that they consider this for future security updates. This just seems like something waiting to be exploited.

 

[gnasher729]

You can also make a complaint about the app directly to Apple - because tricking you into visiting a website is unlikely to be allowed by Apple's review process.