Web Share API

[BearCooder]

Description

The Web Share API is an API for sharing text, links and other content to an arbitrary destination of the user's choice.

While it’s already possible for a user to share content from a webpage via native means, they have to locate the option in the browser menu, and even then, there’s no control over what gets shared. The introduction of this API allows developers to add sharing functionality into apps or websites by taking advantage of the native content sharing capabilities on a user’s device.

Unfortunately the cross browser support is still not great:

• Safari provides full support
• Chrome provides partial support, the share and canShare method is not supported
• Firefox provides no support for share, canshare and other methods

This would be a great oportunity to reach full support on all browsers.

Specification

https://www.w3.org/TR/web-share/

Open Issues

No response

Tests

https://wpt.fyi/results/web-share?label=master&label=experimental&aligned

Current Implementations

• Blink
• Gecko
• WebKit

Standards Positions

• https://chromestatus.com/feature/5668769141620736
• https://mozilla.github.io/standards-positions/#web-share

Browser bug reports

• Chromium 770595
• Chromium 1144920
• Chromium 1002514
• Bugzilla 1635700
• Bugzilla 1726691
• Bugzilla 1796843
• Bugzilla 1653170
• Bugzilla 1653170
• Bugzilla 1730008
• Bugzilla 1727343
• Bugzilla 1802821

Developer discussions

There is plenty evidence that browser wide support for all methods is needed. People are asking all over again in different mediums why this feature does not work on specific browsers.
Some examples:

• Web Share API Doesn't Work on Firefox (React, NextJS)
• How to Use the Web Share API
• Is Web Share API broken on Chrome + Windows 8.1?
• WebShare API Demo - End
• Why does Firefox still not support the Web Share API?
• Does the Web Share API work in Firefox on Android?
• How to share anything from your website by Web Share API

The list can go on and on. Just google web share api and look at stackoverflow etc.

Polls & Surveys

https://2022.stateofjs.com/en-US/features/browser-apis/

Existing Usage

No response

Workarounds

Providing a fallback in browsers where the Web Share API isn’t supported, we need to provide a fallback mechanism so that users on those browsers still get some sharing options.

Accessibility Impact

No response

Privacy Impact

No response

Other

https://w3c.github.io/web-share/

[dkrecichwo]

Also note https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=765923

[marcoscaceres]

Web Share depends on Permission Policy, so we might consider not testing some aspects that depend on Permissions Policy.

We should have a separate Permissions Policy interop area in the future, because it affects more than just web share.

[foolip]

From State of HTML preliminary results, Web Share API was among the features that respondents expressed the most interest for. Note that this wasn't freeform, it's based on the features the survey asked about experience and sentiment for.

[jensimmons]

Web Share depends on Permission Policy, so we might consider not testing some aspects that depend on Permissions Policy.

Agree. Let's exclude tests that depend on Permission Policy.

[gsnedders]

So, I think we have:

https://wpt.fyi/results/web-share?label=master&label=experimental&aligned&q=path%3A%2Fweb-share%20and%20not%20permissions-policy%20and%20not%20feature-policy

[wpt-interop]

Thank you for proposing Web Share API for inclusion in Interop 2024.

We wanted to let you know that this proposal was not selected to be part of Interop this year.

This is because we got many more proposals than we could include in this year's project. Note that individual vendors may nevertheless choose to advance work in this area during the forthcoming year. We would welcome this proposal being resubmitted again next year if necessary.

For an overview of our process, see proposal selection. Thank you again for contributing to Interop 2024!

Posted on behalf of the Interop team.