[Bug] Spotify authentication popup blocked by some browsers

[krzystke]

I have problem with logging in to Spotify on Edge on Windows Mobile 10. Whenever I click LOG IN in Authentication section I just get "Popup blocked. Please allow popups and try again." and no authentication window. Can I bypass it somehow? Can you add option to open it in the same window or something? Edge doesn't seem to have enable popup option and managing Mopidy on mobile is crucial to me.
It is funny that it worked before I reinstalled everything (I needed to do that and change IP which forced me to log in again), and I have no idea how I made it.

[jaedb]

Sheesh, I'm a long time Windows user but Microsoft need to think harder about the quality of their new products. It will require significant work to use the existing window instead of opening in a new window as authorization events are sent between the two windows.

Is there any discussion about whether Microsoft will introduce this (standard) feature to their browser? In the meantime you can push your authorization credentials from another device. See the Share Authentication button.

[krzystke]

Is there any discussion about whether Microsoft will introduce this (standard) feature to their browser?

I have no idea, but I think this problem is not new, but still not fixed. Anyway I logged somehow using mobile Edge before system update, so maybe current version of OS have extra problems with it and it will be fixed in the future. I need to do hard reset in my free time

In the meantime you can push your authorization credentials from another device. See the Share Authentication button.

Works great, thanks :)

[krzystke]

Actually "Share Authentication" works but only for a while. Every time I do this after few hours I need to do this again, which is bad because the point of that is to have server, not to power on notebook every few hours to share access, but to listen to music headlessly. I dont know what breaks session but I am not doing anything extraordinary.

[krzystke]

Also I think this is not only Edge problem, but probably with Iris too. Logging in to Spotify on Mopify works great on the same browser, and Mopify is using the same system as Iris to log in (with external page Spotify authentication). Even popups works there.

[jaedb]

@krzystke Please open a new issue for the Share Authentication problems you're experiencing.

I don't have a WIndows phone to diagnose the underlying issue unfortunately.

The browser (Edge) makes it difficult to allow popups, but the fact that Mopify has been able to suggests popups can be permitted, somehow. Perhaps you had granted Mopify popup permission on another Windows device and this permission was synced to your mobile device?

[krzystke]

Please open a new issue for the Share Authentication problems you're experiencing.

Sure, but first I need to find out what causes problem and is it only WM or Android too. I'll do research and come back with it later

Perhaps you had granted Mopify popup permission on another Windows device and this permission was synced to your mobile device?

It's not possible cause I've never used Mopify before (on PC or Mobile). I just installed almost all front end Mopidy addons to check if any of them works, and I can login to Spotify in Mopify on mobile without problems (it also uses pop up window to log in).

Also now I remember one more thing - few updates before (2.13.x I guess) I could login with mobile without any problems. It for sure wasn't sharing authentication, just regular login. Have you changed something with logging in module, or is it untouched for longer time?

[jaedb]

The SpotifyAuthenticationButton component hasn't been changed (besides minor style adjustments) in some time. Do other browsers work as expected on the same device?

[magsimal]

I am on iOS and have the same problem with Safari blocking the pop-up. Chrome on the same device works fine.
Curiously under the Mopify frontend the pop-up works in both browsers.

As a workaround one can disable blocking pop-ups in the settings BUT this won't help when using safari in fullscreen mode, i.e. if you set a bookmark to your homescreen to appear as an app.

[jaedb]

Mopify uses a different framework (Angular vs ReactJS) and has a different approach to the authentication process. Because the trigger is 'closer' to the click event then browsers don't seem to block the popup.

I'm exploring this a bit further to see if there are some simple workarounds.

[jaedb]

@magsimal and @krzystke can you please try pulling the master branch and test the fix? I've confirmed it works on Opera + Windows 10, however do not have the testing facility for Windows 10 mobile Edge.

[magsimal]

Hi @jaedb, it took me some time to get it running on my raspberry.
I can confirm that a pop-up now opens on iOS in both Safari and Chrome. It takes me to iris.barnsley.nz/auth.php with some parameters, however, the authentication does not go through - "the site can't be reached".

Anyway already many thanks for the great work!

[krzystke]

@jaedb Unfortunately on Windows Mobile it's still borked, no popup is opening (just Iris error that pop up is blocked). Sharing authentication works but only for a limited time, when I try to enter website after a while I am logged out.
I think it's problem only with mobile Edge, it's really great that you were working hard on it by imo leave it, it's a lot of work for maybe 5 users (I don't know if Windows Mobile has more overall)

[jaedb]

@magsimal I've traced it back to some debug code and have updated it accordingly. Should be sorted now.

Seeing as we've remedied this as best we can, I'm closing the issue. If browsers continue to block the popup then there is really nothing more we can do. Spotify authentication must be opened in a popup.

[magsimal]

Many thanks @jaedb you are a legend! Works now in Safari.

Only having an issue in safari full screen mode where after authentication the popup closes and you are not returned to the mopidy. As you do not have any tabs you are lost there. After reopening the website spotify is logged out again - but this seems more like a design flaw from apple.