Current State of Ephemeral Sessions Support

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 79 views

Introduction

In the world of Android development, creating a seamless and secure browsing experience is crucial for users. One feature that has gained popularity in recent times is Ephemeral sessions, which allows users to browse the internet without leaving any trace of their activity. However, implementing Ephemeral sessions on Android Custom Tab can be a challenging task. In this article, we will explore the current state of Ephemeral sessions support on Android Custom Tab and discuss the potential solutions.

Current State of Ephemeral Sessions Support

Currently, there seems to be partial support for Ephemeral sessions on Android Custom Tab, but only when falling back to showing a WebView. This means that if the user's device does not support the Custom Tab feature, the app will default to using a WebView, which does provide some level of Ephemeral sessions support.

However, this is not the ideal solution, as it can lead to a poor user experience. The user may not be aware that they are being redirected to a WebView, and this can cause confusion and frustration.

AndroidX Browser Support

Fortunately, there is some good news. The AndroidX Browser library, which is a part of the AndroidX suite of libraries, has supported Ephemeral sessions since version 1.9.0. To enable Ephemeral sessions on AndroidX Browser, you simply need to add the following code when building the Custom Tab/Auth Tab Intent:

setEmphemeralBrowsingEnabled(true)

This is a significant improvement, as it allows developers to easily enable Ephemeral sessions on their apps without having to resort to workarounds or custom implementations.

Support in Android Custom Tab Library

However, the Android Custom Tab library, which is a popular library for creating custom tabs on Android, does not currently support Ephemeral sessions out of the box. This means that developers who want to use Ephemeral sessions on their apps will have to implement it manually, which can be a complex and time-consuming task.

Potential Solutions

So, what can be done to add support for Ephemeral sessions to the Android Custom Tab library? Here are a few potential solutions:

Add a new method: The Android Custom Tab library could add a new method that allows developers to enable Ephemeral sessions. This method could be similar to the one in the AndroidX Browser library, where you simply need to call a method to enable Ephemeral sessions.
Use a custom implementation: Developers could implement Ephemeral sessions manually using a custom implementation. This would require a significant amount of code and could be a complex task, but it would allow developers to have full control over the implementation.
Use a third-party library: There are several third-party libraries available that provide Ephemeral sessions support on Android. Developers could use one of these libraries to add Ephemeral sessions support to their apps.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while there is some support for Ephemeral sessions on Android Custom Tab, it is not currently available out of the box. However, the AndroidX Browser library does provide support for Ephemeral sessions, and developers can use this library to enable Ephemeral sessions on their apps. To add support for Ephemeral sessions to the Android Custom Tab library, the library could add a new method or use a custom implementation. Alternatively, developers could use a third-party library to add Ephemeral sessions support to their apps.

Future Work

In the future, it would be great to see the Android Custom Tab library add support for Ephemeral sessions out of the box. This would make it easier for developers to create secure and seamless browsing experiences on their apps. Additionally, the library could provide more features and functionality to make it easier for developers to create custom tabs on Android.

Example Use Cases

Here are a few example use cases for Ephemeral sessions on Android Custom Tab:

Secure browsing: Ephemeral sessions can be used to provide a secure browsing experience for users. By enabling Ephemeral sessions, users can browse the internet without leaving any trace of their activity.
Private browsing: Ephemeral sessions can be used to provide a private browsing experience for users. By enabling Ephemeral sessions, users can browse the internet without leaving any cookies or other data on their device.
Compliance: Ephemeral sessions can be used to comply with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. By enabling Ephemeral sessions, developers can ensure that user data is not stored on their device.

Conclusion

Q: What are Ephemeral sessions?

A: Ephemeral sessions are a feature that allows users to browse the internet without leaving any trace of their activity. This means that no cookies, cache, or other data is stored on the user's device.

Q: Why are Ephemeral sessions important?

A: Ephemeral sessions are important because they provide a secure and private browsing experience for users. This is especially important for users who want to browse the internet without leaving any data on their device.

Q: How do I enable Ephemeral sessions on Android Custom Tab?

A: Currently, there is no built-in support for Ephemeral sessions on Android Custom Tab. However, you can use the AndroidX Browser library to enable Ephemeral sessions. To do this, you need to add the following code when building the Custom Tab/Auth Tab Intent:

setEmphemeralBrowsingEnabled(true)

Q: What are the benefits of using Ephemeral sessions?

A: The benefits of using Ephemeral sessions include:

Secure browsing: Ephemeral sessions provide a secure browsing experience for users.
Private browsing: Ephemeral sessions provide a private browsing experience for users.
Compliance: Ephemeral sessions can be used to comply with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA.

Q: Are there any limitations to using Ephemeral sessions?

A: Yes, there are some limitations to using Ephemeral sessions. These include:

Performance: Ephemeral sessions can affect the performance of your app.
Complexity: Implementing Ephemeral sessions can be complex and time-consuming.
Browser compatibility: Ephemeral sessions may not work on all browsers.

Q: Can I use Ephemeral sessions with other features?

A: Yes, you can use Ephemeral sessions with other features such as:

Custom tabs: Ephemeral sessions can be used with custom tabs to provide a secure and private browsing experience.
Auth tabs: Ephemeral sessions can be used with auth tabs to provide a secure and private authentication experience.
Web views: Ephemeral sessions can be used with web views to provide a secure and private browsing experience.

Q: How do I troubleshoot Ephemeral sessions issues?

A: To troubleshoot Ephemeral sessions issues, you can try the following:

Check the logs: Check the logs to see if there are any errors related to Ephemeral sessions.
Test on different devices: Test Ephemeral sessions on different devices to see if the issue is device-specific.
Contact support: Contact support if you are unable to resolve the issue.

Q: Are there any best practices for using Ephemeral sessions?

A: Yes, there are some best practices for using Ephemeral sessions. These include:

Use Ephemeral sessions for sensitive data: Use Ephemeral sessions for sensitive data such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Use Ephemeral sessions for private browsing: Use Ephemeral sessions for private browsing to provide a secure and private browsing experience.
Test Ephemeral sessions thoroughly: Test Ephemeral sessions thoroughly to ensure that they are working correctly.