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I think it would be good to have a way for the user to view the target URL of a link before following it. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who dislikes blind-clicking -tapping links.

When I use SE in the mobile browser, I routinely long-press links to find out where they go before following them. I wish I could do the same thing in the app, with the same or a similar method.

(It's important that this won't conflict with text selection, since you can't long-press on links to select them now anyway.)

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There is a workaround that ends with mobile browser: tap More - Open in browser on the question, then check the link (as already mentioned by OP). However, I don't see this as.. convenient enough, since we're leaving the app and (as of v1.0.73) there's in-app browser powered by Chrome.

So, I propose 2 suggestions:

  1. Prompt the user when external link (i.e. links outside of Stack Exchange networks, including SOFU trilogy and sites with custom domain) is tapped, perhaps like,

    Open http://example.com?

    then, tapping Yes will open in (in-app) browser.

  2. Pop-up a menu (just like Chrome), when long-pressing the link, showing the full URL and options to:

    • Open (in in-app browser, if Chrome is installed)
    • Open in browser
    • Copy link address (because there's no option to copy from in-app browser!?)
    • etc...

Currently, I don't have any preference, since no.1 is simple enough, but doesn't have many features, and no.2 has more features, but take more resource to be implemented.

(If I have to choose though, then no.1 is already okay for me)

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