Launching Safari in-app?

Question

Is it possible to Launch Safari without having the app close? Just like the in-app email compose window.

I'm aware of how to display a webpage in UIWebView. I'd like to use a full web browser, i.e. Safari.

Answer 1

You can use a UIWebView to display web content in your app.

Answer 2

You can create a UIWebView with the URL to display. It will follow any links that the user touches, but that won't give you the address bar, search, navigation buttons, bookmarks or the page (tab) control. Those you'll have to add yourself, but odds are you don't want all of that. (Do you really need Google searches in your app?)

Creating a controller to manage a UIWebView and as much or as little navigation as you need is pretty easy. With a little planning, your custom controller class will also a good thing to keep in your library for the next app.

Answer 3

No you can not make use of the full Safari from within your own application. Your application must terminate for Safari to open.

In iPhone OS 2.0 you also had to terminate in order to send e-mails, so some chance exists that Apple couls open up Safari in the same way for iPhone OS 4.0. Make sure to request it at http://bugreport.apple.com if you are eager.

The second best option currently available is to roll your own "Browser view controller" using UIWebView. Let it have back, forward, stop/reload buttons, and an extra button for opening in Safari if the user is not content. This is how many of the greatest apps our there, like Tweetie, does it.