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App mentions fail to lead to exact DiscussionTools comment for non-namesapce talk pages like [[Wikipedia:Help desk]]
Open, Needs TriagePublicBUG REPORT

Description

Steps to replicate the issue (include links if applicable):

  • Click a notification (username mention/ping alert) in the Wikipedia Android app (in the bell)
  • Alternatively, click a push notification reporting the mention.

What happens?:

  • The link only takes you to the top of the correct talk page, the correct post is not focused or highlighted.

What should have happened instead?:

  • User should be taken to the highlighted talk page post where they are mentioned, not simply the page.
  • Note: Personal userpage edits (different to mentions) work this way by highlighting the relevant edit in blue.

Other information (browser name/version, screenshots, etc.):
Firefox Android 145.0.2, mobile phone.

Comments

  • Given the move to the app targeting a read-only experience and the lack of DiscussionTools, getting the user to the correct place in the browser would be better than correcting the app's current behaviour.
  • I can test this on a Village pump mention in my app's notifications. The notification's "View changes" in the the three dots shows the correct diff, and the comment is still on the Village pump page, but clicking the "View mention" only takes me to the top of the Village pump page - not the mention which is located far below.

Event Timeline

Thanks for raising this @Commander_Keane ! Just to clarify how this works today: when a user initiates this flow in the app, we currently send them to mobile web within a wrapped view, rather than fully handing off to an external browser. This allows us to support the workflow while keeping users in a more app-adjacent experience.

At the moment, the apps don’t natively support non-namespace talk pages. For standard English Wikipedia articles or their associated talk pages, the handoff will take users to the correct location natively, leaning on DiscussionTools.

If a user is on a non-namespace page (like Village Pump) and scrolls to the bottom, selecting “View in browser” will open the page in their device’s browser. This provides the full mobile web experience (without the wrapped UI) and should take them directly to the relevant page and section.

Happy to discuss further if there are specific edge cases or improvements you’d like us to look into.

Commander_Keane renamed this task from Andoid app mentions do no lead to exact comment on target page to App mentions fail to lead to exact DiscussionTools comment for non-namesapce talk pages like [[Wikipedia:Help desk]].Sun, Dec 28, 6:30 AM

Thanks @JTannerWMF. Indeed it is only non-namespace talk pages, such as [[Wikpedia:Help desk]], [[Wikpedia:Teahouse]], [[Wikipedia;Village pump]] etc. I have updated the task title. I couldn't find the overarching task covering basic support for these pages. T278838 is close, but no mention of apps and DiscussionTools or non-namespace talk pages.

The “View in browser” link does work, but obviously these discussion pages are are high-traffic and very long, so making this link more accessible by putting it at the top would make sense.