iOS 11 - Bug or Feature?

[Ipadairman]

I have just updated my iPad Air to iOS 11 and a link in my website to an OnClick event to a javascript function containing several links to websites now only opens the first one.
Is this a bug or a new feature? I do hope it's not a feature!!
I assume this forum is not an official Apple site but I just wondered if anyone can shed any light on this. Thanks.

The javascript function looks like the following. In iOS 10 all websites were opened in separate tabs.

function favs()
{
window.open("http://www.website1.com");
window.open("website2.com");
window.open("http://www.website3.com");
window.open("www.website4.com");
}


BTW I entered the websites in this post as:
www.website1.com
www.website2.com
www.website3.com
www.website4.com
The forum software seems to have changed them!!

 

[twerppoet]

Check your settings in Safari. There are some new anti-tracking options, so things have been re-arainged a bit. This may have caused your old settings to be changed to a new default. Block Pop-ups is the most likely culprit, but it’s also possible some of the new thrid party tracking settings might have an effect (though I don’t know why they should).

If it persists, try contacting Apple. They introduced an Apple Support app in iOS 10 (yes, 10, not 11). This would probably be the best way to go for free support. If nothing else, you’ll be reporting a bug with the hopes that it gets fixed.

 

[Ipadairman]

Thanks twerppoet.
I checked the settings and they looked OK.
I unset the Block Pop-ups as a test but it made no difference.
I installed the Apple Support app but there was everything except email support which I prefer.
I'll see if I can report it to Apple another way.

 

[twerppoet]

Ok. Good luck, and please let us know how things turn out.

 

[Ipadairman]

I reported it to Apple but had to give up after 2 hours in exasperation.
I sent them the details; they gave me several links to follow for support but ended up in circles so I gave up

FWIW: (Sorry if this infringes the rules, delete it if it does)
I've just installed the latest much-improved Firefox for iPad (at least much improved since the last one I tried!) and clicking the link works just as I want it to.
Now if Safari would do this I would go back to using Safari (probably! ).

 

[twerppoet]

Thanks for the update. I’m glad you found something thats working for you.

I have yet to find a browser that does everything, or works perfectly with every site. I rarely have problems with Safari, but I still keep a couple of alternate browsers on the iPad just in case: iCab Mobile (because it has just about every feature under the sun), and Puffin (for those now thankfully rare Adobe Flash sites).

 

[Ipadairman]

My main issue with Safari is that it appears to clear the cookies every time I close it down.
I often log into 4 or 5 websites and each time I start Safari I have to login again.
Thankfully Firefox retains the cookies so when I start Firefox I don't have to login again.

 

[twerppoet]

My main issue with Safari is that it appears to clear the cookies every time I close it down.
I often log into 4 or 5 websites and each time I start Safari I have to login again.
Thankfully Firefox retains the cookies so when I start Firefox I don't have to login again.

Safari retains cookies, if it is set correctly. I have several sites with persistant logins (including this one) and they work fine.

Two things:

One: Check to make sure you have not set Safari to block all cookies in Settings > Safari. In iOS 11, this is a simple ON/OFF settings. In previous version of iOS the best settings says something like ‘only current site’.

Two: Make sure you are not in Private Browsing mode. If the toolbar and tabs are grey, then the browser is in Private Mode and will not retain cookies after the tab closes. You can toggel Private mode by pinching the screen to preview view, and tapping the Private button at the top right.

 

[Ipadairman]

Thanks for that twerppoet.
I do have Block All Cookies set to OFF and I'm definitely not in Private Browsing so it's a puzzle.

 

[twerppoet]

Thanks for that twerppoet.
I do have Block All Cookies set to OFF and I'm definitely not in Private Browsing so it's a puzzle.

Well, that is puzzling. Do you use an Ad Blocking app? Some of the more agressive ones can kill cookies. Most have a white list that you can add sites to.

 

[Ipadairman]

No, I don't use any ad-blocking apps.
So you often close Safari (by swiping it to the top) and when you start it up again all your logins are still intact?
Very puzzling!
I'm liking Firefox now (apart from it not being able to be the default browser) so the Safari issue may not matter now, although it would be nice to resolve it, of course.

 

[twerppoet]

This forum has persistant logins, and yes, it keeps me logged in no matter how I go about closing Safari or or tabs.

Persistant login does time out, eventually. And clearning history and cookies kills it, of course. But I often go months before I need to sign in again.

I’m out of ideas on why it’s not working for you. Sorry.

 

[Ipadairman]

I thought I'd checked this before but it IS because I regularly clear the history, DOH!!.
On Firefox you can clear the history without clearing cookies.
Thanks for your time, twerppoet.

 

[twerppoet]

No problem. I’m glad you figured it out.

If you want ot continue using Safari, but also want to trash history for some sites, I recomend experimenting with privacy mode. With privacy mode you won’t have to remember to clear history, just switch modes when going to/from those sites.

FireFox probably has a privacy mode as well.

 

[Ipadairman]

Most of the time I'm using sites that need username/password so it wouldn't be worth using privacy mode.
I'm reasonably happy with Firefox, at least for the time being.