open whatsapp links with web.whatsapp.com
There is still no way to install a native Linux application for whatsapp, so I always use whatsapp’s webapp with my daily browser (chromium based brave-browser).
Everything works [mostly] fine, except when I need to click on a whatsapp link in a web site, that is supposed to open a conversation with a certain new cell phone number. Here’s an example on BOSE’s site when you click in the button "message us".
When I click on a button like that one, I get redirected to api.whatsapp.com and then I get a popup prompt on my browser asking:
Open xdg-open?
https://api.whatsapp.com wants to open this application.
If I proceed, nothing happens.
I would expect to have a new whatsapp web tab opened to be able to message the new contact.
I have tried to use xdg-mime but I can’t understand how to use it.
You should be able to avoid the xdg popup by blocking JavaScript for api.whatsapp.com through site permissions. Since the webpage has a "continue to chat" link that redirects to web.whatsapp.com, assuming I understood the problem correctly, that link is the solution.
this worked for me, just register chrome as whatsapp handler, no need to disable javascript
xdg-mime default google-chrome.desktop 'x-scheme-handler/whatsapp'
Just hit cancel on the XDG-open prompt.
Then there is javascript on the big green button that triggers the XDG-open stuff again if you click it. You can disable the javascript as other answers suggest, but I prefer to right-click on the button and copy the link or "open in new tab".
You’ll get a new web.whatsapp.com tab, you can close the old one that now says: "web.whatsapp is open in other tab".
This is a workaround, as closing the old window might not be desirable (you lose drafts).