Android system webview

You’ve definitely noticed the “Android System Webview” app in the update schedule for your application. However, you’re likely not too confident about what is android system webview or whether uninstall the app or not? An Android smartphone or tablet must always reach over the Android System WebView app while running through its life spam.

 It is an app you require to store on your gadget, mainly if your machine runs on an Android version lower than Nougat. If you don’t perceive enough about this android app or when the Android system webview disabled, what precisely it effects on your smartphone, you will undoubtedly be shocked to locate out its web environment integrating capabilities. This is not the variety of app that you can stick with a patch. It operates in its own context, without some direct user cooperation.

In today’s world, most people are accomplishing their work by shaking hands with technology. For example banking, music, gaming, streaming videos and whatnot, everything is like instant recipes which can be tasted everywhere at any time. Users can achieve these features by running a piece of code known as apps on their devices.

What is Android System WebView?

Android System Webview is a shorter variant of Chrome, enabling you to unlock links inside the app, you’re working accordingly you oughtn’t to drop the app.

In other words, it is a web browser engine developed in the android operating system. It executes in such a possible way so that web pages get open within the app. Anyone can inspect the multi-variety of web content with WebView. It is coded on the Android project from the beginning and can quickly update if/when needed.

When you tap on a link/URL in any app, it will initiate Android System Webview because it is the browser inbuilt. Locate the application at the system setting section:

Settings → Application Manager → System Apps.

Muse-over on this point, not all app support it. For that reason, links from any apps open on Chrome and not from inside the application.This element is gleaned from the WebKit engine. Its operation is quite comparable to that of the Chrome browser. It indicates that it identically bundles web pages as Chrome or Safari explores.

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Android System Webview
Android System Webview

Furthermore, WebView is a fundamental coding in Android Studio, an integrated development environment for developing Android applications. This software enables users with ample programming expertise and talents to build browsers and different apps comparable to the messenger app or Flipboard design. Coding Example

Adding a WebView in the activity layout

<WebView
    android:id="@+id/webview"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
/>

To load a web page in the WebView

WebView myWebView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webview);
myWebView.loadUrl("https://gossipfunda.com");

More genuine opinion of how the webview tool functions, let’s consider WeChat as an instance, you can watch YouTubes’ links inside the same application, without opening it on the YouTube website.

Application:

Application refers to a software program or a source code which handles multiple tasks. An application is developed using the following steps: gathering requirements, designing prototypes, testing, implementation, and integration. Each Application is unique while performing its own tasks. There are three types of applications:

Native applications:

Native applications are software programs which are native to that particular device and its operating system. These are viewed as a common type of apps. These applications are stored in app stores like App Store, Play store etc on mobile or tablet. Native apps are programmed in environments like Xcode for iOS or Android SDK. Giant companies like Apple and Google encourage app developers to design various apps with their development tools.

Pros:

  • Native apps utilize the device-specific hardware and software to the fullest extent.
  • Native apps are user-friendly and will run smoothly.
  • User can download the apps with full security, quality and device compatibility.
  • Developer can utilise the operating system to its fullest extent by incorporating its features while developing the app.

Cons:

  • The code written in one platform cannot be migrated to another. Application development is platform-specific.
  • Native applications need more maintenance like updates, security, enhancements etc.
  • Unlike web apps, users can install the updates when they are only available at play store.

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Web applications:

Web applications are the apps stored on the distant server, which are carried by the internet using a web browser interface. The programming languages used in web apps are JavaScript and HTML5. Client-side programming utilizes these languages in developing the front-end of an application. Server-side programming uses languages such as Python, Java, and Ruby.

Benefits:

  • Multiple users access to the same version of an application and from different web browsers.
  • Updates are quick and frequent.
  • Installation of these apps is not required.

Drawbacks:

  • Web apps always run in a browser environment.
  • Less convenient, responsive and slower compared to native apps.
  • Accessibility is less in offline mode.
  • Awareness of these apps is less because they are not stored in the play store.
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Hybrid applications:

Hybrid apps are a combination of both native and web apps. They can be installed on the device and parallelly gets connected to the internet. These apps are programmed using HTML, CSS, or JavaScript and they can be viewed in a web view. The hybrid app has two stages of design:

  • The backend code is written in languages like JavaScript, HTML or  CSS.
  • A native shell downloads the source code using a WebView.

WebView:

WebView displays the web content which is highlighted inside the application. For example, the user can access the web content directly from the native application instead of separately browsing in search engine. In other words, WebView is an inbuilt browser in the operating system that allows the mobile application to open the web pages. It is platform-independent.

WebView apps available in Android and IOS are:

  • Android system WebView app
  • UI WebView app in IOS.

Android System WebView app:

Android System WebView app
Android System WebView app

The Android System WebView is an inbuilt browser in the operating system which allows the user to view the web content within the application. WebView app is developed from Android IDE. User can open, watch or navigate through any of the links highlighted in the application. Android WebView is powered by chromium-browser and based on the WebKit Engine, which is again part of the Android KitKat version. Chromium is an open-source web browser like chrome and safari.

Examples which explains the operation of WebView:

  • User can directly open up a YouTube link from one of the Whatsapp messages without having to open the YouTube website.
  • If the user finds any interesting posts while scrolling down the social media apps like Facebook, just by clicking on that link a mini-browser will open with web content.

WebView is the one which invokes this mini browser or YouTube which is mentioned in the above examples.

Android System WebView App in older Android OS versions:

  • In Android version 4.4, WebView app is based on chromium-browser similar to Google Chrome.
  • In Android version Lollipop, WebView app is integrated as a separate package into Play Store, where Google can send updates directly without depending on the OS update.

 Android developers can create a WebView class instance by enabling the WebView library within an application and add web permissions and WebView code into the Android declaration files. This combines browsing skills into the software. Hence the user will enable to open the web pages directly from the applications.

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How to install the WebView app from the Android OS versions above 7.0:

In Android Nougat, Google Chrome forms as a replacement for the WebView app. Chrome takes up the responsibilities of the WebView app. That is the reason why the WebView is disabled in Android Nougat.

Advantages to choose Chrome over WebView:

  • By disabling the WebView app, one can save battery life and Background apps will run at a faster rate.
  • Chrome is more efficient and standalone APK compared to WebView.
  • WebView will consume a large amount of RAM space while running, this is one of the reasons to disable WebView in the latest Android versions.

Steps to install the WebView app by deactivating the other Web Browser:

  • Uninstall or deactivate all web browsers.
  • Download the latest version of the Android System WebView from Google Play Store.
  • Open any application that contains external links.

Check if the web application works as expected.

Note: if the user reactivates or install any other web browser then the WebView will automatically turns off.

How to uninstall the Android system webview:

  • Android WebView app is a system app, which cannot be directly deleted but can be deactivated by clearing cache and data residue in Application Manager. Deleting or disabling this app will create a great disturbance among the other apps which are interconnected to the network. Devices using older Android versions can uninstall the non-critical apps including WebView app because less availability of Android latest OS updates.
  • In Android Nougat, open the Google Play Store and search for Android System WebView app. User can find Disable option on the screen. By pressing on the Disable button, the app will be disabled.
android system webview disabled
android system webview disabled

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Conclusion:

To increase or sustain the performance of the device, It is best to use the default system apps. If the device version is Marshmallow and below, enable the Android system webview app for better execution. For Android version 7.0, Chrome will be the best option in substituting the WebView.