I also made sure to turn off the "Open supported links" settings from aps like Instagram.
So usually, if someone shares Instagram links to WhatsApp, usually with the url tracking, I can clean them up first using UrlChecker before opening it in Instagram app.
Recently I noticed if I tap on Instagram links, WhatsApp will immediately open it in Instagram, ignoring Android's default browser setting to open the link with UrlChecker first.
I thought something was broken, but if I open non-instagram links, those will open UrlChecker app.
Can you please help check if the behavior is the same on your side? So I can be sure that I'm not crazy. Thanks!
Man, if you really value your privacy you shouldn't use WhatsApp (difficult of course as everyone uses it)
and social media (difficult as everyone use it), except for Lemmy, Mastodon or Signal !!
Privacy is not an easy path as it's against the whole mainstream society.
But its worth embracing, because it's a human right, even if it's not "comfortable" doing so.
Edit: there is of course other ways of communication like regular phone calls or sending SMS instead of WhatsApp messages. So feel free to liberate yourself.
This might be the "Open by default" setting that is now per app in Android. Insta has "9 verified links" that will just open it instead of the default browser. Go to app settings, Instagram, Open by default, and uncheck Open supported links.
Can you install a detailled permission control app like and disable whatsapps permission to see the list of installed apps?
If it thinks instagram isn't installed, it ought to fall back on using the regular url system if its ignoring that purposefully here, right?
You can circumvent it using Intent intercept apps, so unless Whatsapp specifically looks for the APK and call it directly (and just use normal intent URL schemes) then you can simply redirect that request.
Don't such apps require root permission to work? If an app directly specifies an other app for opening the link, I don't think you could intercept (or even detect) it with an other app on a regular phone.