6

This is no duplicate of the same titled questions from 2014: The list of recent "answers" of disgruntled users shows that this is a new problem that seems to have surfaced just recently. As the "answer" by @Greeble formulates it:

When I searched Google for the webpage you're reading right now, and clicked on it, it took me to the Google Play store and asked me to download the stackexchange app. A different search result to a problem forum resulted in me being directed to download the Tapatalk app. Interestingly, clicking "open in new tab" prevents this annoying behavior.

I have the same problem with the Dolphin browser, but it is more than just Wikipedia.

For me it is a Firefox latest version, while a stone-age Chrome browser does not have this problem.

My hunch is that it is actually Google's search results itself that are instrumented to link to their Play Store. Of course this cannot be checked on a desktop. I tried checking the page source with a Firefox extension, but this was all just javascript gibberish, hard to make sense of.

Is there any way to see the HTML on an Android similar to the developer functionality we have in desktop browsers?

Is there a way to get rid of this nonsense again?

Improve this question
3
  • Does disabling the Google Play .apk from Application Manager fix the problem? I would test but can't replicate the problem. (I currently have Download Manager disabled to prevent the Chrome update in the first place).
    – Aaron Gillion
    Mar 13, 2016 at 0:55
  • Don't feel like trying this, because it then wants to reset google play to the age old factory version.
    – Harald
    Mar 13, 2016 at 6:40
  • "Is there any way to see the HTML on an Android similar to the developer functionality we have in desktop browsers?" should probably be a new question if you really care about the answer to that. (And the answer is, yes, there are several ways, or none, depending on which browser.)
    – Mufasa
    Mar 17, 2016 at 19:00

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

It is suspected that this issue is related to Google's roll-out of the ability to install apps directly from search results. The install links are supposed to be clearly marked, but that was not happening here. At the moment, I believe this is fixed because Google results are showing separate Install links and I am not being redirected to any apps otherwise.

If it's still happening for you, there are a few half-solutions I've seen suggested:

  • Use a desktop view/user agent when searching Google (I.e., Menu → "Request desktop site" in Chrome)
  • Long press on the search result you want and open it in a new tab
  • Try a different browser and make sure you have the latest version.
  • Use a different search engine.
Improve this answer
1
  • Indeed it seems to be changed/fixed now again. In firefox I don't see install links, but that is not important. The links work again.
    – Harald
    Mar 17, 2016 at 20:16

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .