App2app redirect consistency in Android

The simplest way to implement app2app redirect in Android is to shift responsibility to the browser application. But what about user experience? How can the flow be seamless and consistent? 

Diagram 1. Redirection steps in app2app and app2web flow

Let’s review how the Android app can handle at its best the redirection from TPP app to either bank’s website or application. In the below videos that present examples of app2app or app2web redirect methods, Fentury represents a TPP application that is integrated with Salt Edge Connect widget.

Redirect to Salt Edge Connect widget

Android application can trigger Salt Edge Connect widget to open in 3 ways. All these methods together with examples are reviewed below.

1. Redirect via a Browser app 

When the end-user is redirected from the TPP app to the Salt Edge Connect widget, the last is simply opened in a browser tab. After the end-user gives their explicit consent to the action on the Salt Edge Connect page, the default browser app redirects the end-user to the bank’s mobile application.

The consequence of using this approach is an opened browser tab with a dead session of the Salt Edge Connect widget (after the first step in the above diagram), whilst a small modification can eliminate this unwanted inconvenience completely.

Method applicability advice: The redirect via browser app is not a preferable method to be used. Three applications are participating in the flow and it might confuse the user on why the browser app has been opened. There is a high chance for users to abandon the flow altogether. 

The below video shows an example of redirect via the browser app method being used. The error of the expired session can be observed at the end of the video.

2. Redirect via Chrome Custom Tabs

This redirect method is winning in performance since Chrome Custom Tab is a great tool to quickly load any website. Unfortunately, there are issues with app2app redirect handling. Depending on the used Android interface, which might have policies regarding redirections different from the original Android ones, the desired redirection from Chrome Custom Tabs may not happen. Besides, please note that Chrome Custom Tabs can behave differently from Chrome browser.

Method applicability advice: The Redirect via Chrome Custom Tabs method is not preferable to be used for opening Salt Edge Connect widget, since there might be issues when redirecting to the bank’s mobile app afterward. Although, this method is preferable to be used for redirection to the bank’s website (app2web flow) from the Salt Edge Connect widget.

The below video shows an example of redirect via Chrome Custom Tabs method being used.

3. Redirect via WebView

WebView technology allows displaying of content from the web directly inside of an application. It means that when an end-user is redirected to the Salt Edge Connect widget, it looks like being a part of the application. Even more, Salt Edge Connect widget can be customised according to the mobile app layout, making the redirect to Salt Edge Connect widget even more unnoticeable. Whereas, when using WebView, the application has to handle all redirections outside the Salt Edge domain (www.saltedge.com). So it is quite simple to redirect the end-user from Salt Edge Connect widget to the bank’s side.

Method applicability advice: Redirect via WebView is a method preferable to be used for opening Salt Edge Connect widget. Besides, it is the best method to redirect from the Salt Edge Connect widget to either the bank’s mobile application (app2app) or website (app2web). The last shall be opened using Chrome Custom Tabs technology.

The most efficient and user-friendly flow of app2web redirection flow is presented in the diagram below.

Diagram 2. Android app2web redirection steps, best practice

The below video shows an example of the redirection flow that combines WebView and Custom Tabs methods.

Best app2app redirect method

Given the fact that redirection via browser method offers a bad user experience, and the Chrome Custom Tabs method might have issues with app2app redirection handling, one can conclude that the best approach to handle app2app redirection for Android is to use a combination of WebView technology to open Salt Edge Connect widget, and then redirect end-user directly to bank’s mobile app.

The most efficient and user-friendly method of app2app redirection flow is presented in the diagram below.

Diagram 3. Android app2app redirection steps, best practice

The below video shows an example of the redirection flow from the Salt Edge Connect widget (opened with WebView) to the bank’s mobile app.

Salt Edge team is always eager to help you on the journey to the best user experience, so feel free to contact us.

About Salt Edge

Salt Edge – a financial API platform with PSD2 and open banking solutions. The company has two main vectors of activity: enabling third parties to get access to bank channels via a unified gateway, and developing the technology necessary for banks to become compliant with the directive’s requirements. ISO 27001 certified and AISP licensed under PSD2, the company employs the highest international security measures to ensure stable and reliable connections between financial institutions and their customers. The company is integrated with 5000+ financial institutions in 50+ countries.

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