Open Safari from my Today Extension (widget) within my app

Question

I have a Today Extension with a text field. I want to use the contents of the text field as a URL to open a browser within my app.

This is my TodayViewController.swi

Answer 1

You can do this by using deep linking.

First define a custom URL scheme

Once your app responds to the custom scheme my-app:// you can open your app from your todayViewController.

@IBAction func goButton(_ sender: Any) {

    let myAppUrl = URL(string: "my-app://openurl/\(yourURL.addingPercentEncoding(withAllowedCharacters: .urlPathAllowed))")!
    extensionContext?.open(myAppUrl, completionHandler: { (success) in
        if (!success) {
            print("error: failed to open app from Today Extension")
        }
    })
}

In your app, just like described in the previous link you will have to implement in your app delegate

func application(_ app: UIApplication, open url: URL, 
  options: [UIApplicationOpenURLOptionsKey : Any] = [:]) -> Bool

in this method, the url will be the one you created in your app extension. Meaning it will be my-app://openurl/{the url with percent escaping} You will have to parse this url, initialise the view controller that contains the webView and pass the url to be opened.

Answer 2

You could use @Giuseppe_Lanza solution and parse url that you receive from Today Extension Widget. However, I would show an example where your url have a static components and looking for a path such as https:/www.apple.com/homepod or https:/www.apple.com/iphone based on user's input in the textField:

1- URL Scheme: myAppName

2- Add this to open your app with widget

@IBAction func goButton(_ sender: Any) {
    openApp(widgetText: "\(textBox.text!)")
}

func openApp(widgetText:String)    {

    let str = "myAppName://https://www.apple.com/\(widgetText)"
    let url = URL(string: str)!
    if textBox.hasText == true  {

        extensionContext?.open(url, completionHandler: { (success) in
            if (!success) {
                print("error: