WebView apps & advanced setup of “Login with Google” or “Login with Facebook”

Social media login is a way to simplify the registration process for users. It also gives them the option to sign in with their social media account. Another advantage of social media login is that it can be used as two-factor authentication. Apps can use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Apple as our social media login, for example. There are also smaller rising stars in the Social Media platform provider game.

From a user perspective, the advantage is that it makes registration or logging in much quicker than traditional methods, such as filling out forms or remembering passwords. This convenience factor has also made it popular among users who are not tech-savvy (who might even be confused by a mail verification code ;-)).

The WebView app development approach and Social Media login well complement each other since 2008. However, it has become an issue in recent years and months. There are many security concerns with this feature and new policy regulations from Facebook and Google permitting particular login styles from WebView. With the WebView, the social media provider cannot control the data that is being transmitted to and from the browser, which could lead to a security breach if the WebView is manipulated. 

In order to solve these problems, WebViewGold has started using other methods for authentication such as their new Social Media Login helper:

• Variables in the Config file of WebViewGold:
  • iOS:
    • google_login_helper_triggers
    • facebook_login_helper_triggers
  • Android:
    • GOOGLE_LOGIN_HELPER_TRIGGERS
    • FACEBOOK_LOGIN_HELPER_TRIGGERS
• To trigger the helper, you need to list the URL prefixes that load during the login.
  • Examples of common URL prefixes loaded during login:
    • Google: “https://accounts.google.com/”, “https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/”
    • Facebook: “https://m.facebook.com”, “https://www.facebook.com”

Questions? Please contact the WebViewGold support team.