How iOS Browsers Affect the "Add to Calendar" Feature

Apple provides two types of embedded browsers for iOS apps: a full-featured browser (used by apps like Twitter) and a limited-functionality browser, also known as a “Chromeless browser” (used by apps like Office 365, Facebook, and Google Chrome).

When an app uses the Chromeless browser, it lacks many built-in functions that are normally available in the standard Safari browser. This stripped-down browser does not automatically open .ics event files (the files used for calendar events) in the default calendar app. As a result, when a user clicks “Add to Calendar” in these apps, the event file downloads, but it does not automatically open in their calendar app. The user may feel as though nothing has happened.

Solution: How AddEvent Works Around This Limitation

To help users add events successfully when using the Chromeless browser, AddEvent offers an alternative approach:

Event Subscription as a Workaround: Instead of directly adding the event, AddEvent detects when a user is accessing the page through a Chromeless browser. In this case, AddEvent automatically subscribes the user to the event, which achieves a similar outcome. While this method is not as direct as adding an individual event, it allows users to view and manage the event on their calendars.
User Prompt to Open in Safari: To improve the experience, AddEvent displays a message: “If this event fails to load, please open the page in Safari.” This prompt advises users to open the page in the Safari app, which has full calendar functionality and can directly add events without issues.

This approach ensures that most users can successfully add events to their calendars, even when using limited browsers.