Why is it taking them so long to design an easy-to-use way to capture a URL with your phone?
There are a handful of sites that make it very easy to copy a URL, but with most of them it’s like rocket science to get the URL into you clipboard to share it. I’ve “shared” the link to my own cell phone text and took it from there, but that option isn’t always available.
I usually manage to find other ways of getting to it, but it shouldn’t take me 10 minutes of experimenting.
Why is it taking so long to standardize the process?
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It isn’t an accident. It’s a way to maximize information gathering in the app.
The tools used to develop apps could make a long press the default, imitating a right-click with a mouse. (Long press as opposed to a simple tap). That allows text to be easily copied.
If that isn’t available, it is a deliberate choice, forcing you to use their preferred route. This often means using social media so they can capture your connections and habits, show you more advertising, etc.
It also keeps you inside the app, instead of switching to another one. Holding your attention is a prime goal.
@Call_Me_Jay
“The tools used to develop apps could make a long press the default, imitating a right-click with a mouse. (Long press as opposed to a simple tap). That allows text to be easily copied.”
Do you think there might be a carrier that does provide that option?
But why target just the phones? Why not make it hard for desk tops and lap tops too?
Never had a problem highlighting and copying a url. Even with the very latest Android there is actually a link to do this. Y’all must have iPhones.
No. I have an Android. Samsung. Here is a good example. There is no url specifically for this article. It’s just a general Wikipedia URL.
Clicking on the triple lines to the left just gets me this.
That inbox thing with an arrow pointing at it is a print command.
There are SOME websites where a simple “copy link” would be one of the options when you click on the triple lines.
I wonder if there’s a solution on this page.
If I had an Android, I myself would try some of the suggestions included above.
But why target just the phones? Why not make it hard for desk tops and lap tops too?
I don’t know why they leave computer browsers more open.
Maybe because interaction with the phone is already constrained? Switching apps is hard. So putting the links right there with few options is kind of a blessing.
Thanks @Brian1946. Some sites actually have a link to copy, and I know how to do it, but many of them don’t. This one, for example.
Do you get a choice of “browsers” with your phone?
I use Firefox. It’s just like my computer. I can down load any browser, but I trust Firefox.
Do you get a choice of “browsers” with your phone?
Yes. On Android most people use Chrome (the pre-installed default, naturally on a Google OS). But I’ve used Firefox, Opera, “Browser” (default on an Acer tablet), and Microsoft Edge.
On iPhone the default is Apple’s Safari, But Firefox, Edge, Opera and lots of others are available.
Thanks @Brian1946. That gave me an idea….maybe if I go directly to https://en.m.wikipedia.org, which is the mobile version, and then do my search it will come up with a URL for me. Thanks for the idea! I’ll try it now.
Search me. I had to get my 10 year old granddaughter to show me how to copy and paste on my laptop. WhIle the nine yr old grand son stood by and laughed and told me, “You’re old paw paw!” The shame of it all…
There’s an app called “Copied” that you could try.
On iPhones you can also add it as a “widget” to your shortcuts page (I don’t know what that would be called on Android).
I didn’t realize people had issues with this. I click in the address bar and the option to copy it to the clipboard comes right up. Am I not understanding the question, maybe? (I use Chrome).
It’s only with my phone @Lonelyheart807. Here is an example of what I see when I’m on a site that doesn’t give me anything to copy….there is no url specifically for this article. It’s just a general Wikipedia URL. My desk top shows
Clicking on the triple lines to the left just gets me this.
That inbox thing with an arrow pointing at it is a print command.
There are SOME websites where a simple “copy link” would be one of the options when you click on the triple lines, but not Wikipedia and many other places.
On my desktop, however, looking at the same article, it gives the name of the article in the URL.
Maybe I should go complain to Wikipedia!
Is that Safari on an iPhone?
No, I have Firefox and it’s an Android phone.
Hmmmm. I have Firefox installed on my Android. I see the full web address, and a long press brings up the option to “Copy Address”
Screenshot
Could you look up Aralkum Desert in Wikipedia and take a screen shot and show me what you see? As I said, some sites do show the full web address, but Wikipedia doesn’t seem to.
In chrome if you hit the three dots in the upper right corner, then hit share and then copy url.
I don’t use Chrome.
Here is what I see when I search National Geographic. It’s a little clunky though. I have several options, but not one to directly copy the URL to my clipboard. I chose to send a text to myself in order to strip the URL from it.
Here is what I see when I search articles on the BBC. Nice, easy and right up front.
Same with ABC news.
Apparently it’s Wikipedia that gives me the most trouble…but I quote Wikipedia most often.
I can just slow press and “copy url” in firefox
Where do you see “copy url” in this screen print?
It is not one of the option in the 3 lines on the top left.
PS I know how to copy and paste. But in Wikipedia I am not seeing anything that I can copy.
Go to the url pane, press and hold it and a “copy address” button will pop up
Yes! That worked!
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But still, it would be nice if they’d just make a universal code for copying the URL
@Dutchess_III Apparently it’s Wikipedia that gives me the most trouble…but I quote Wikipedia most often.
Please see my post again. You’re using the Google app, not Firefox.
It was fixed because the web link opened in Firefox. When you see the problem, you aren’t in Firefox, you are in the Google search app.
No. It was fixed because it never occurred to me to long press on where the URL should be, in This case where it reads en.m.wikipedia .org. @ARE_you_kidding_me suggested that, so I did it, and the full URL appeared and I was able to copy it.
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