# Introducing the Web Share API | Web | Google Developers
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [September 21, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515 "2017-09-21T14:47:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/1 "2017-09-21T14:47:42Z")
> **[Integrate with the OS sharing UI with the Web Share API | Articles | web.dev](https://web.dev/articles/web-share)**
>
> With the Web Share API, web apps are able to use the same system-provided share capabilities as platform-specific apps. The Web Share API makes it possible for web apps to share links, text, and files to other apps installed on the device in the same...
We can try switching the topic share icon action to the web share intent on supported platforms ( Chrome android for now)
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/2 "2017-09-25T22:42:57Z")
Ok, did a quick try at this while I was in the plane and after some cleaning up sent a [pull request](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/5204).
Here is it in action:
[https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/5/9/596e3dc1aba11684adcfe9144572dac5d2658e31.mp4](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/5/9/596e3dc1aba11684adcfe9144572dac5d2658e31.mp4)
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/3 "2017-09-26T02:20:41Z")
This only happens on Android yes? Seems fairly safe to me then. @gerhard can you review?
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### Author:  [@gerhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gerhard)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2017, 9:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/5 "2017-09-26T09:47:28Z")
It’s merged and it works great on Chrome 61. 👍
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### Author:  [@david](https://meta.discourse.org/u/david)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2017, 9:56am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/6 "2017-09-26T09:56:20Z")
I don’t have an android device to test, but I’m assuming this means users no longer have access to the “reply as linked topic” button that is normally next to the share buttons?
Can this functionality be put elsewhere? Or is there any way to add a custom button to the native share sheet?
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### Author:  [@gerhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gerhard)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2017, 10:27am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/7 "2017-09-26T10:27:40Z")
It’s still there when you tap on the post’s time.
Only the share button uses the new functionality.
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/8 "2019-03-26T21:56:39Z")
It works on iOS 12.2 🎉
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### Author:  [@anon82467725](https://meta.discourse.org/u/anon82467725)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2021, 2:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/9 "2021-01-04T14:20:21Z")
I would like to see this working in Chrome OS. Discourse is already a PWA, so the stars are aligning.
> **[Chromebook files sharing will soon work with PWAs](https://chromeunboxed.com/chromebook-files-sharing-will-soon-work-with-pwas/)**
>
> Chrome OS is quickly adding more and more ways to share files between users and devices. Just yesterday, I highlighted the upcoming "Nearby Sharing" feature that will use Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and data to transfer files to, you guessed it, nearby...
I would also like to be able to share things **TO** discourse. For example, if I were to select an image to share to Discourse, it would create a new topic with the image inserted at the top. The title of the image would then be put as the topic title.
I also know a lot of people who use Windows, so support for that platform would also be great. They want to use the native menu. It looks very clean.
The same can be said for macOS, although I’m not too sure how the implementation would work.
TL;DR: I want to be able to share files **TO** Discourse in all major operating systems (both mobile and desktop). Along with that, I would like to be able to share links **FROM** Discourse on all major _desktop_ operating systems. 🙂
Also, does Firefox and Safari support the Web Share API? I originally thought that it was only supported in Chromium browsers.
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/10 "2021-01-04T15:59:51Z")
> [@anon82467725](#):
>
> I would also like to be able to share things **TO** discourse.
This already works since [Share to Discourse (via Android)](https://meta.discourse.org/t/share-to-discourse-via-android/103729).
At the moment we implement only the V1 of the API, so only text. The V2 share target API allows uploads, but that is a bit harder to implement. #pr-welcome.
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### Author:  [@Johani](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Johani)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/19 "2021-05-20T19:38:55Z")
It’s still too early to enable this on non-mobile devices. Here’s a couple of examples.
- It won’t work on Chrome if you’re not using Windows or Chrome OS.
- It won’t work on Edge unless you’re using windows.
- It won’t work on Firefox regardless of what OS you use.
["web share" | Can I use... Support tables for HTML5, CSS3, etc](https://caniuse.com/?search=web%20share)
I don’t see those issues being fixed any time soon.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Vega](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Justin_Vega)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-the-web-share-api-web-google-developers/70515/20 "2021-05-21T12:46:21Z")
Why not use Discourse’s own share sheet as a fallback if a browser doesn’t support the Web Share API?
Oh, and the Web Share API is still broken on iOS 14. 🙁