> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/uazo/cromite/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# External App Integration

> Control how Cromite interacts with external applications

Cromite blocks external app launches by default to protect your privacy. This guide explains why and how to manage external app integration.

## Understanding External App Blocking

### What is External App Integration?

When you click a link in a browser, it can:

* Open within the browser
* Launch an external app (e.g., YouTube app for YouTube links)
* Open a Custom Tab within another app

<Warning>
  External app launches can leak browsing data and link your web activity with in-app activity.
</Warning>

## Privacy Implications

### Data Sharing Risk

When a browser opens an external app:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Information Passed" icon="share">
    * URL being opened
    * Referrer information
    * User agent data
    * Session identifiers
    * Timing information
  </Card>

  <Card title="Privacy Impact" icon="user-secret">
    * Links web and app browsing
    * Creates cross-platform profiles
    * Enables tracking correlation
    * Bypasses browser protections
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Example: YouTube Links

When clicking a YouTube link:

```text theme={null}
Default Cromite Behavior:
✓ Opens in Cromite browser
✓ Video URL stays in browser
✓ No data shared with YouTube app
✓ Browser privacy protections apply

With External Apps Enabled:
✗ Launches YouTube app
✗ Video URL shared with app
✗ Additional metadata may be passed
✗ App tracking can correlate activity
```

<Info>
  The YouTube app may receive not just the video URL, but also information that can link your browser session with your app usage.
</Info>

## Default Behavior

Cromite disables external app integration by default:

<Accordion title="External Intent Requests">
  **Status**: Disabled by default

  Blocks the browser from launching external apps when clicking links or following redirects.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Custom Tab Intents">
  **Status**: Disabled by default

  Prevents other apps from opening Cromite in "Custom Tab" mode, which can pass tracking data.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Android App Scheme Blocking">
  **Status**: Enabled by default

  Blocks `intent://` and other app scheme URLs that attempt to launch external applications.
</Accordion>

## Enabling External Apps

You can enable external app launches if needed:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Visit Website">
    Navigate to a website where you want to allow external app launches (e.g., YouTube).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Site Settings">
    Tap the **lock icon** or **site info** icon in the address bar.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b852f2da-8560-4431-aa8f-157ceb05c058" alt="Open site information" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Access Permissions">
    Tap **Site settings** to view permissions for the current site.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable External Apps">
    Find **Open links in external apps** and toggle it to **Allowed**.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3926128a-21ab-4df1-a773-a0a9545155ad" alt="Enable external apps" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test Behavior">
    Click a link that would normally open an external app (e.g., YouTube video). Android will now prompt you to choose the app.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Enable external apps only for specific sites you trust, not globally.
</Tip>

## Managing External App Permissions

### View All Permissions

Check which sites can launch external apps:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings">
    Navigate to **Settings** in Cromite.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Site Settings">
    Go to **Site settings** → **Open links in external apps**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review Sites">
    View all sites with external app permissions.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Revoke Permission

Remove external app access from a site:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find Site">
    In **Site settings** → **Open links in external apps**, locate the site.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Site Settings">
    Tap on the site entry.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change Permission">
    Change the setting from **Allowed** to **Blocked**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Custom Tab Intents

Custom Tabs are a feature that allows apps to open web content in a lightweight browser instance.

### Privacy Concerns

<Warning>
  Custom Tabs can pass referrer information that links app usage with browser activity.
</Warning>

When an app opens a Custom Tab:

* The app knows what URL you're visiting
* Referrer headers may include app-specific identifiers
* Your browsing session can be correlated with app activity
* The app may receive navigation events

### Cromite's Protection

Cromite disables Custom Tab intents by default:

```text theme={null}
External App Request:
"Open https://example.com in Custom Tab
 with referrer: android-app://com.example.app"

Cromite Response:
✓ Blocks Custom Tab intent
✓ Prevents referrer leakage
✓ Opens in normal browser tab instead
✓ No app correlation data
```

## App Scheme URLs

App scheme URLs attempt to launch apps directly:

<CodeGroup>
  ```text Intent Scheme theme={null}
  intent://example.com/#Intent;scheme=https;package=com.example.app;end
  ```

  ```text App-Specific Scheme theme={null}
  youtube://watch?v=VIDEO_ID
  market://details?id=com.example.app
  telegram://msg?text=Hello
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Cromite's Blocking

These schemes are blocked by default:

<Accordion title="intent:// URLs">
  Blocked to prevent automatic app launches and data sharing.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Custom App Schemes">
  Blocked to prevent apps from being launched without explicit user consent.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Android App Referrers">
  Removed to prevent linking between web and app contexts.
</Accordion>

## Use Cases

### When to Enable External Apps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Media Streaming" icon="play">
    * YouTube videos
    * Spotify music
    * Twitch streams
    * Video conferencing apps
  </Card>

  <Card title="Productivity" icon="briefcase">
    * Opening documents in Office apps
    * Launching calendar events
    * Opening maps in navigation apps
    * Email client integration
  </Card>

  <Card title="Social Media" icon="users">
    * Opening Twitter/X in app
    * Instagram links
    * Facebook posts
    * Messaging apps
  </Card>

  <Card title="Utilities" icon="wrench">
    * App store links
    * File management
    * Banking apps
    * Payment apps
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### When to Keep Disabled

<Warning>
  Keep external apps disabled for:
</Warning>

* General web browsing
* News sites
* Shopping sites
* Sites with sensitive information
* Unknown or untrusted sites
* Public Wi-Fi usage
* Privacy-focused browsing

## Alternative Approaches

### Share Instead of Open

Instead of allowing automatic app launches:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Copy Link">
    Long-press on a link and select **Copy link address**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open App Manually">
    Open the target app directly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste Link">
    Paste the link in the app's search or address field.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  This approach gives you more control and doesn't automatically share data between browser and app.
</Tip>

### Use Share Menu

Share content explicitly through Android's share menu:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Content">
    Open the page you want to share in Cromite.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Share Menu">
    Tap the **Share** button in Cromite's menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose App">
    Select the app you want to share to from the share menu.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Technical Details

### Intent Filtering

Cromite modifies Android intent handling:

```text theme={null}
External Intent Request:
- Action: ACTION_VIEW
- Data URI: youtube://watch?v=VIDEO_ID
- Package: com.google.android.youtube

Cromite's Response (Default):
✓ Intent blocked
✓ Opens URL in browser instead
✓ No package-specific handling
✓ No referrer information passed
```

### Referrer Blocking

When external apps ARE enabled, Cromite still:

* Removes Android app referrers
* Blocks intent-specific metadata
* Sanitizes URLs where possible

<Note>
  Even with external apps enabled, Cromite provides more privacy protection than standard browsers.
</Note>

## Global Settings

### Enable External Apps Globally

<Warning>
  Not recommended for privacy reasons.
</Warning>

To enable external apps for all sites:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings">
    Navigate to **Settings** → **Site settings**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="External Apps">
    Find **Open links in external apps**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change Default">
    Change the default from **Blocked** to **Allowed**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Disable External Apps Globally

Ensure maximum privacy:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings">
    Navigate to **Settings** → **Site settings**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="External Apps">
    Find **Open links in external apps**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Block All">
    Set default to **Blocked** and clear all site exceptions.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

<Accordion title="YouTube Links Won't Open in App">
  **Expected Behavior**: This is by design for privacy.

  **To Enable**:

  1. Follow steps in [Enabling External Apps](#enabling-external-apps)
  2. Enable permission for YouTube.com specifically
  3. Click a YouTube link
  4. Choose YouTube app when prompted
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="App Keeps Opening in Browser">
  **Check**:

  1. External app permission is enabled for the site
  2. The target app is installed
  3. Android system has default app associations set
  4. The link is actually an app-compatible URL
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Custom Tabs Not Working">
  **Expected Behavior**: Custom Tabs are disabled by default.

  **Note**: There is no built-in way to enable Custom Tabs in Cromite due to privacy concerns. Consider using the Share menu instead.
</Accordion>

## Privacy Recommendations

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Best Practices" icon="shield-check">
    * Keep external apps disabled by default
    * Only enable for specific trusted sites
    * Regularly review permissions
    * Use Share menu for explicit sharing
  </Card>

  <Card title="High Privacy" icon="user-lock">
    * Never enable external apps globally
    * Avoid app launches on sensitive sites
    * Use isolated browser profiles
    * Copy/paste links manually when needed
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Related Settings

External app integration is part of Cromite's broader privacy features:

* [Site Settings](/guides/settings#site-settings) - Manage all site-specific permissions
* [Privacy Settings](/guides/settings#privacy-settings) - Configure global privacy options
* [Security Settings](/guides/settings#security-settings) - Additional security protections

<Info>
  For maximum privacy, combine external app blocking with other Cromite privacy features like cookie partitioning and referrer removal.
</Info>