Can't change Webview

/e/OS Foundation & Community
1

Hello Everybody.

I have a issue with a app that requiers a less secure webview then the original from /e/. (Cromite)

I have install one from Google (I know :frowning: ). but when i select it in the development options, then the app still uses the original defualt webview. I have tired reboot ect.

Am I doing somthing wrong or is there anther way to change the webview? I only need it when i’m logging in the app, else i dont need that nasty google version.

I have a OnePlus 6 with 2.8-t-20250225471522-community-enchilada

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/OS the deGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

2

at times a workable solution is setting Firefox as a default Browser for the Login window open there. Depends on the app if it calls an intent

3

Hey tcecyk.

I have tried that, both Firefox, Chrome, ungoogled-chrome and IronFox.

But it does not work. Its seems that the app forces the use of webview right at the end of the login process. :cry:

4

It is not, nor has it ever been, possible to just install any webview and hope the system recognizes it. What is supported is in the framework of a ROM.

Custom ROM webview, by default, is com.android.webview. I don’t know if Google’s webview (com.google.android.webview) is supported or not but flashing GApps seems to make it work somehow. Haven’t used GApps in ages so…

I know there may be some adb magic to probably get some webview to work but I never personally tried.

The one way to have multiple webviews is of course to be rooted.

  • Root ROM
  • Install LSPosed
  • Install AnyWebView module

On crDroid A11 I just happen to have that for testing purposes.
In Aurora Store I couldn’t find the regular Google WebView so had to choose between beta. dev, and canary. Installed the beta and rebooted.

In the screenshot you see four webviews including the Google beta.
The first one selected is actually Cromite WebView (which was installed manually on all of my ROMs from Oreo up).

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Cromite WebView disables a lot of things by default, like WebRTC and WebGL(?), which is fine for me but might not be ideal for some folks.

1 Like
5

Thank you for the reply marcdw.

So my options are, to pick another custom rom or figure out what settings in Cromite (Browser) I need to fix to make this app in question work?

6

That would be quite a move due to a single app. Is the app that important to justify a ROM change?

Any chance you can tell us what the app is.

But I thought the issue was with the webview, not the browser.

There is actually no info regarding what happens during this failed login.

  • Does app crash
  • Any login errors
  • Does login process loop
  • ???

Is it possible to grab a log? That would be very helpful to see where the failure happens. Maybe something is blocked.
[ Speaking of, any network related settings that might be a problem? Hiding IP (Tor) can be a problem. Tracker blocking? ]

Just as one can change flags in browsers, one can also do so with the webview using WebView DevTools. Accessible from within some webview-based browsers like Fulguris and Privacy Browser.
Best left untouched, of course, by us regular folks. Not knowing why the logins failed means not knowing what may need changing. Whether webview or browser.

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7

I assume its the build in webviewer and the webviewer is based on Cromite if I’m not wrong?

I have no clue on how to get logs on a android. Thats going to be a topic to read up on.

Thank you for your time to reply.

It’s a Nordic payment app that have worked until /e/ 2.8 was installed. I don’t know why it stopped working.