system.openURL()

Type Function
Library system.*
Return value Boolean
Revision 2017.3060
Keywords system, openURL, URL
See also system.canOpenURL()

Overview

Open a web page in the browser, create an email, or dial a phone number. Executing this function will close the app and switch to the built-in browser, email, or phone app.

You can check whether a URL can be opened via the system.canOpenURL() function.

Syntax

system.openURL( url )
url (required)

String. One of the following:

  • Email address — "mailto:nobody@mycompany.com", optionally including URL-encoded subject and body parameters, for example:
    "mailto:nobody@mycompany.com?subject=Hi%20there&body=I%20just%20wanted%20to%20say%2C%20Hi!"
  • Phone number — "tel:123-456-7890"
  • Web link — "http://www.coronalabs.com"

Gotchas

On Android, if dialing a phone number, you must add the CALL_PHONE permission to the build.settings file.

settings =
{
    android =
    {
        usesPermissions =
        {
            "android.permission.CALL_PHONE",
        },
    },
}

Examples

Open Web Page in Device Browser
system.openURL( "http://www.coronalabs.com" )
Send Email via Device Mail Application
system.openURL( "mailto:nobody@mycompany.com" )
Dial a Phone Number
system.openURL( "tel:123-456-7890" )