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Evernote embedded external links are Broken in iOS browsers after latest 6.15.3.7881 update (haven't tested droid)


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Since I updated my desktop Evernote application to version [6.15.3.7881 (307881) Public (CE Build ce-53.2.6641)], yesterday (9/28/2018), external links have stopped working from my iOS mobile browser (tried Safari & Chrome). The work just fine in desktop/laptop browsers. I have many Evernote pages where I have links to external websites and external Evernote notes (AKA shareable links). Since I updated, yesterday, to version "6.15.3.7881" all of these links have been broken. I don't have a droid device to be able to test this; but at least in iOS browsers, they are not working. 

Pre 6.15.3.7881 update, when I would click on a link (with a regular push), the links would open just fine. Now, when I use a regular push, I get the following message: "Sorry, this content is not available in your browser" (see image inserted below).  Now, if a use a hard/long press or push, the link will open.  But get this, if I click on a password protected PDF evernote note to open the PDF file, the file will not open regardless of how I push (hard/regular, etc..). They worked fine pre update. Note, these are links that have been opened thousands of times that did not require the evernote app before.

And if you are on a pre 3D touch version such as iPhone 6, the embedded links won't open no matter how hard you push. 

NOTE: If you are in the mobile Evernote App and you click on these exernal links work just fine; but if you are not logged into the evernote app, the links don't work which negates the point of external links.

Here is an example of an Evernote note I created for this thread: CLICK HERE 

If you are on a mobile device, to make copying easier, here is the full link from above: 
https://www.evernote.com/l/AJh4q4ZRoB5MbrOWCD8t2aV6_VIXUlOZp98/


Please comment if this issue is also affecting Droid devices; if it is also affecting Droid devices, perhaps the moderators can shift this thread to the "General Technical Issues" thread.

This is crippling to my mobile users. Please expedite a fix Evernote.

fd04ec735a132fae2ed909200a5e45ec11c7717c-1.jpg

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  • Level 5*

Your report is complicated; you're quoting Windows version #s

I can confirm the issue in IOS with external links when using the mobile site.
The page is displayed when switching to the desktop site (long press on the url refresh icon)

I'm thinking this should be handled by Evernote Support via a support ticket.
 

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13 minutes ago, DTLow said:

Your report is complicated; you're including Windows versions

I can confirm the issue in IOS with external links when using the mobile site.
The note is displayed when switching to the desktop site (long press on the url refresh icon)
 


Thanks for the reply. I didn't get the "windows versions" part of it.  I meant that the same links are working in a desktop/laptop environment (coincidentally in windows 7) but not the mobile; it would, however, be interesting to know if this is affecting desktop/laptop Mac machines.  I haven't tried this on ipad; but if you go back to that test note I created, you might try the pdf link'ed note (the last link), and you'll likely notice that the password protected pdf file won't allow you to open it no matter how hard you push. 

Best

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40 minutes ago, SouthernProfit.Com said:

if you go back to that test note I created, you might try the pdf link'ed note (the last link), and you'll likely notice that the password pdf file won't allow you to open it no matter how hard you push. 

It works for me if I switch the mobile browser to the desktop site.

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30 minutes ago, DTLow said:

It works for me if I switch the browser to the desktop site.

for me, on mobile, it show's the picture of the PDF, but it won't actually let me open it or put in the password when I click on it.  I hope Evernote see's this as an issue.  It wont' really strike much of a chord if the users are not using external mobile links, or if they really weren't savvy pre-update.

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16 minutes ago, SouthernProfit.Com said:

for me, on mobile, it show's the picture of the PDF, but it won't actually let me open it or put in the password when I click on it.  I hope Evernote see's this as an issue.  It wont' really strike much of a chord if the users are not using external mobile links, or if they really weren't savvy pre-update.

As I said, I can access this on my iPad by switching to the desktop siteIMG_2605.thumb.jpg.bd11eef8e91e544c625c7efd4f9a8976.jpg

Something a little confusing is that I started in Safari with the link you provided.  
I'm no longer in Safari.  I think I'm in the Evernote app

 

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas

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1 minute ago, DTLow said:

As I said, I can access this on my iPad by switching to the desktop siteIMG_2605.thumb.jpg.bd11eef8e91e544c625c7efd4f9a8976.jpg

Something a little confusing is that I started in Safari with the link you provided.  I'm no longer in Safari

I'm not sure, my guess is (as with some other task), tablets just handle a wider array of tasks better than their corresponding smart phones

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5 minutes ago, SouthernProfit.Com said:

I just really hope this is not a marketing ploy

I don't know about "ploy".  
I do know that Evernote has not optimized their web pages for mobile browsers
- instead you get the message about installing the mobile app
I bypass this by switching from the mobile site to the desktop site.  It's not optimized, but mostly functional

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I'm seeing the same screen captured at the top of this thread, on externally linked notes that worked just fine before.

I have to say, I don't know why this has to be so complicated.  3 types of links?

This should just work.  period.

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  • Ex Employees

Hi,

Thanks for reporting this issue and providing a sample note to illustrate the problem. I've reported this to our development team and they are actively working on a fix.

The bug was introduced because we were trying to fix the bad experience mobile users would get when trying to access an Evernote note link. They would end up in desktop client on a mobile browser. Our web clients are not optimized for a mobile experience and we want to encourage users to use the Evernote app when viewing notes. Unfortunately, the code was catching ALL links from within a note and serving up the error page you see in your screenshot.

We will be removing the offending code until we can come up with a better solution that addresses the issue without impacting non-Evernote links.

I'm new to the forum, but I want to say that I appreciate your help in pointing out the issue. Please continue to provide us feedback.

Thanks,

Scott

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Thanks.  FYI, for most mobile and desktop users, trying to funnel users into the application is a really bad idea.  Here is the reason why.  The webpage/html versions, that are rendered are more visually appealing than the versions rendered when you're in the app environment in both mobile and desktop versions.  So if you only need to read the note or click on a link within a note, the user, often prefers, to not "be in the application itself".  This is the reason I always share the desktop version of the external link.   Because if I try to share the mobile version of an external link, it still forces mobile users into the application (if installed on the device).  On the other hand, if I share the desktop version of the link, everyone (mobile or desktop users) who clicks on the link, even if the app is open somewhere on the device, will still be rendered the more visually appealing web/html version of the note.

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  • Ex Employees

Thanks for the feedback. I will provide this to our team to evaluate before we make any further changes. We're looking to vastly improve the entire sharing process in the near future, and feedback like this is very helpful.

By the way, the fix should already be live. I tried your test note on my iOS device and it looks to be working, but please double-check and let me know if you continue to have problems.

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  • Ex Employees

@BKellogg Yeah, our team definitely tested the overall changes, but we missed the issue, which was only just introduced in the last week. Our bad, but as a software professional, you know it can happen. We were focused on trying to address the issue of Evernote-specific links and they missed the case of the non-Evernote links.

I will provide this information to our test team and make sure there's cases specifically for testing out different types of embedded links. 

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Drilling down a little deeper, I thought it appropriate to continue with this same thread for the issue, since the arrival of this issue is in the timing of the, likely, the same bug. 

It seems, there is one item which is still buggy, even since rollback.  When clicking on "password protected" PDF files in mobile environment (at least on iOS): the user is not getting the prompt with the password blank on a regular basis; it is hit-and-miss.

Here is a publicly shared note I've created for this thread.  It contains links to a "password protected PDF" as well as a non-password protected PDFCLICK HERE TO TEST

Reminder, this is only occurring in mobile environment and I've only tested in iOS 12 for iPhone X

Basically, for password protected PDF's, when clicking on the red PDF icon, it generally works the first time you click on it:
image.png.027b0bf9076b24b1dd891e7cec676a85.png

This is the expected result after clicking the red PDF icon above (where one can enter the password.... and all is well):

image.png.73cea5be8988805f516d89c7969a5682.png

However, if you hit the back button--or just happen to arrive at protected PDF note from the prior route a 2nd time--and click on the red PDF link again, then you get are unable to enter the password and, instead, get this view:
image.png.089c42d76e6e7d50114fcd82c78dad8c.png

The work-around, is to hit the refresh button at the top right of the browse.  The issue is, however, for some of my first time user audience or just "less than savvy" users, they won't know there is even anything wrong and just think it's a dead page.  

@Scott T., can you push this issue over to your team and piggyback on the preceding issues they are working on which seem related in terms of timing and content of the problem?  

 

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  • Ex Employees

@JodyHeath.Com I'm able to get the same bug to happen with our older note viewer code as well, so the issue isn't specific to our updated viewer. As you noted, refreshing fixes the problem. I tried attaching to my iPhone via the Safari development tools, but I don't get much of anything. I'm not entirely convinced this is an Evernote bug, as the actual link is just directly to the PDF. I found several references to other people having a similar problem with password protected PDFs in Safari. So I'm leaning towards this being an iOS bug. We'll see if we can work around it. I'm wondering if Safari doesn't like it being opened into a new window?

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am having an issue on my iPad with the links in a PDF file. I store a 600 page PDF in my Evernote and I frequently access it from my iPad. It has a table of contents which links to pages deep within the document. Up until recently, clicking on one of the links in the table of contents took me to the relevant section within the document. Now it no longer works.

I'm using an iPad Air with iOS 12.0.1 (although the problem began on the previous iOS 11 ) and my Evernote is up to date.

 

Is there a solution coming, or is there a work around?

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