Firefox Snap won't open links to WhatsApp API

[Santiago Fernández Núñez]

The .deb version of Firefox handles links to WhatsApp API (https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=....) without any problem: these links open the WhatsApp web client.

Snap version of Firefox doesn't know how to handle these links. It opens the pop up "Choose an application to open whatsapp lnks" that only shows the option System Handler (which fails opening them if selected).

Choosing Firefox is not possible as /bin and similar folders are out of range for the snap.

[Santiago Fernández Núñez (santiagofn)]

Seems like the "Open in Firefox" option is missing for these links (see next attachment):

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[LDZ (linuxopenconnection)]

I am having this issue for zoom and slack or anything else that needs an external app. I have been having this issue for at least 3 months.. Also, I noticed that my firefox snap is not classic version so I am not sure if that makes a difference.

[LDZ (linuxopenconnection)]

I looked at firefox snap and didn't see a --classic confinement option to install.. But, I am also new to snap so I might just be ignorant of how to apply this setting

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

I can confirm links to https://api.whatsapp.com/ do not open correctly in the firefox snap, and they do in the deb. However replacing "api" by "web" seems to be enough to work around the problem.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

LDZ: the firefox snap is not classic, it is strictly confined, you won't be able to install it with the "classic" mode.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:97.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/97.0

Steps to reproduce:

(initially reported on Launchpad: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+bug/1956005)

When using the Firefox snap, clicking a hyperlink to api.whatsapp.com shows a dialog that offers to use the "System Handler" to open the link, whereas when using e.g. the deb package on Ubuntu, Firefox doesn't try to delegate opening the link to an external handler.

Example link: https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=[phone]&text=foobar&app_absent=0

[Release-mgmt-account-bot (release-mgmt-account-bot)]

The [Bugbug](https://github.com/mozilla/bugbug/) bot thinks this bug should belong to the 'Core::Widget: Gtk' component, and is moving the bug to that component. Please revert this change in case you think the bot is wrong.

[HD (hernan-david-hd)]

This URL https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?text=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2F8WgmjTwqtKY&type=custom_url&app_absent=0

in Firefox opens this box (attached)

Then a gnome error message
"No Apps available - No apps installed can open (This URL), You can fine more applications in software"

Button (Find more in Software)

Firefox can`t find "gnome-software"
((( because the real name is ubuntu-software, and by the way there is not whatsapp app there"

[Hildo Guillardi Júnior (hildogjr)]

Still on Firefox 109.0 (64 bits) snap for Canonical-002 1.0.

[Santiago Fernández Núñez (santiagofn)]

Still present on Firefox 115.0.2

Has someone found a workaround?

[lorenzo (murar8)]

This works for me: https://addons.mozilla.org/it/firefox/addon/whatsend

[Santiago Fernández Núñez (santiagofn)]

Still present in Firefox 120.0

[Gakigoqehu1984 (gakigoqehu1984)]

Created attachment 9383168
same problem

Thanks from herfuncnoodpha1976.