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I really dislike the "feature" where apps can open other apps "inside" their own context. For example, I have a GitHub browser app that has registered the GitHub domain with my phone. When I click on a GitHub link from Chrome, the GitHub browser app opens by itself and is separately closeable (this is good). However when I click on a GitHub link from Yahoo Mail, the GitHub browser app is opened within Yahoo Mail, and it's not separately closeable (bad).

Is there a setting where I can direct my phone to only open apps directly, preventing the behavior I see in Yahoo Mail?

gregsdennis
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  • See if this app can help in choosing the app you wish to open with – beeshyams Mar 02 '18 at 03:08
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    @beeshyams, the defaults apps are fine. I just want them to open independently. – gregsdennis Mar 02 '18 at 03:14
  • What I meant was that it gives you a choice of opening with and use that to open Yahoo links in GitHub browser – beeshyams Mar 02 '18 at 05:27
  • I am also annoyed with this "feature." Would like to find a way to fix it without root if possible – Jonah Dec 10 '19 at 02:20
  • Coming to this question in 2023 because this 'feature' popped up for me today and I didn't manage to find a fix without root. Glad there was the option to remove the app and use the web browser to open the links instead. – Ash Aug 28 '23 at 12:05

2 Answers2

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Apps can launch other apps' activities inside their task. This makes it impossible to switch back and forth between the two.

In that case you may use an Xposed module ActivityForceNewTask (You need Xposed Framework installed as well as root)

This module sets the FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK flag when starting a new activity, which 'fixes' that.

It basically forces activities launched within applications to create a new task, allowing for much easier switching between the two. In this case if you click on a GitHub link from Yahoo Mail, the GitHub browser app is not opened within Yahoo Mail but as a seperate task with its own window, and it's separately closeable.

Here is an illustration, showing how the module addresses the problem in question:

enter image description here Credits: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/mod-activityforcenewtask-t2646504

xavier_fakerat
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  • That looks like it does what I need it to do. I have no idea how to use it. It doesn't look like an app. Do I just throw it in a folder somewhere? – gregsdennis Mar 01 '18 at 20:08
  • Xposed is a Framework wich you can install then add modules to it, for setup please see this XDA support page :http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed – xavier_fakerat Mar 01 '18 at 20:13
  • Not rooted right now... :/ – gregsdennis Mar 02 '18 at 03:15
  • I had a similar issue, where certain apps were opening inside another app and having one window but the ActivityForceNewtask solved this issue and the seperate windows makes it much more convenient for multitasking – xavier_fakerat Mar 02 '18 at 14:39
  • Any way this is possible without a rooted phone ? – himanshuxd Jun 10 '20 at 09:52
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I solved this issue by using Firefox. You can disable opening links in applications and there is a menu item available called "Open in App".

Firefox screenshot 1

Firefox screenshot 2

End Anti-Semitic Hate
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Lluser
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