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Chrome Custom Tabs

AF
Allen Foster
Koch Business Solutions

Is there a way that we can get an option for Chrome Custom Tabs on the roadmap for Mobicontrol Lock screens?  I know that I can add a url in google managed play store but it would be nice to be able to launch a url in full screen using Chrome and not webview.  I know it can be done in Surf however we have several websites that will not run in Surf.  I also know about http:// and https://, however those run full screen in webview not a chrome custom tab.  It would be nice to have an option for full screen url in a chrome custom tab instead of webview.  Plus with webview I cannot run a command to wipe the data in webview while I can in chrome.  

chrome
2 years ago
Android
ANSWERS
RS
Rafael Schäfer
2 years ago

Not sure you want to get.

There are mutliple ways:

  1. Way: Setup those enterprise web apps. There you can also choosse how it should be opened (if it's https) which is something like fullscreen. And you can add those then the same way as every other apk via bundle-id to the lockdownscreen.
  2. Way: You set up a lockdown item with an url. But this is opened, i think, just as a normal website in chrome then (or if configured: Soti Surf) but not in fullscreen as far as i know.
  3. Way: You set up a homescreen item in chrome managed app settings. But this is opened, i think, just as a normal website in chrome then but no option to set it as fullscreen as far as i know.
RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
2 years ago

Hi Allen,

What exactly do you need the Chrome kiosk item to behave when you said you want "Chrome Custom tabs"?

What should be shown and what should be hidden in your requirements?  And what should be allowed or disallowed in your ideal "Custom" tab?

Have you tried configuring the AppConfig compliant parameters of Chrome offered by Google to achieve something that you want?  What about those options available in the "Browser" profile payload?

AF
Allen Foster
2 years ago

We are currently doing a demo of Bluefletch and they use Chrome Custom Tabs where you can go full screen with specific URL's.  I do know that in the private play store I can create a URL that does full screen but that is also very much dependent on the GMS based devices.  Also we have some of our websites that don't run in Surf.  We also need the ability to clear out data using scripts.  I know that when we call a url using either a chrome intent or using Browser:// that we can send a command to wipe the data for Chrome and it will clear out that data but when the site is launched with HTTP:// or HTTPS:// that there is no way to wipe the session data for that webview session.  Also we still have the issue with the fact that some of our sites do not function properly either in SOTI Surf or WebView.  So it would be nice for Non GMS devices to be able to launch a URL in a full screen mode without the browser bars but it still be launching in Chrome and not a webview or other browser.

RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
2 years ago

Hi Allen,

Your last post is virtually the same as what you had said in the earlier and have not provided answers to my questions.

Hence, I can just make assumption that you are accessing web-site or running web-apps that MUST be accessed with Chrome.  At the same time, you want it running in full screen or some kind of kiosk mode (i.e. address, navigation, notification, ... bars all hidden).   Based on the latest AppConfig parameters and browser profile policies supported by Chrome,  it is obvious that you currently have no solid solution. I don't know if the evolving standard Fullscreen API callable with javascript can help to customize Chrome's look-and-feel that you want.   But just  don't waste time trying different MobiControl kiosk item URI or parameters.  You want to use something on Chrome that Google hasn't implemented (especially from the perspective in terms of MDM related API's) yet, and there is nothing that Soti or any third-party can do to help.

You can directly contact Google to request them to implement the kiosk mode features currently supported by Soti Surf or other secure browsers.   Alternatively, changes to the web-sites or web-apps should be made to avoid using the add-on features/extensions only offered in Chrome, so that Soti Surf or other secure browser with kiosk mode support can be used.  My governmental customers previously followed the latter approach,  cleaning up their own web-app so that Soti Surf can be used, instead of waiting endlessly for something which Google will probably not implement as desired in the foreseeable future.

S
SAMOD@SOTI
2 years ago

Hello Allen,

Thanks you everyone for posting on SOTI Central.

As suggested in this post, many settings, features and/or configurations may not be possible to implement for any EMM solutions, and you may need to contact Google or any other software companies to implement certain features.

You may raise a Feature Request with SOTI, but since Chrome relies on Google, we cannot guarantee that this Chrome Custom Tab may be implemented in a potential Feature Request on the MobiControl roadmap or by Google itself.

Here are some useful links:

View and configure app extensions (From Chrome Enterprise Education Help)

Google Issue Tracker (From Google Issue Tracker)

Issue Tracker (From Google Issue Traker)

Below, as suggested in this post, you may try to have a glance at the Chrome app from Play Store. After creating an App policy within SOTI MobiControl, select Google Chrome > Advanced Configurations > Managed App Config. You will see plenty of configurations to choose from that may help you to also configure other settings:

You may raise a ticket with SOTI.

Thank you.

Regards,

Technical Support | SOTI Inc. |1.905.624.9828 | support@soti.net | www.soti.net |




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