In-app browsers
Apple Pay not showing in Instagram or TikTok? Why wallets go missing in in-app browsers
A wallet button that shows in Safari can be missing inside Instagram or TikTok. What Apple, Google and Shopify document, what shoppers can try and what sellers should test.
If Apple Pay is not showing in Instagram's browser but works in Safari, the page is usually open inside the app's own browser rather than Safari, and Apple Pay follows different rules there. Apple documents Apple Pay on the web for Safari and its in-app Safari view, and blocks it in an app's own web view on any page into which the app has injected script. Open the page in Safari, or in Chrome on Android, and check the button there.
Where Apple supports Apple Pay on the web
Apple's Apple Pay on the Web documentation says that in iOS, Safari and SFSafariViewController support Apple Pay. SFSafariViewController is Apple's ready-made Safari view that an app can show without sending you out of the app. An app can also build its own browser on WebKit's WKWebView, and that is where the rules get stricter.
The script rule for an app's own browser
Apple brought Apple Pay to WKWebView with iOS 13 and set out the condition in its WWDC 2019 session What's New for Web Developers: if any script has been injected into the current page, Apple Pay is not allowed on it. Once a page has checked whether Apple Pay is available, the app can't inject script into that page any more. Both restrictions reset when the page navigates. Apple's reasoning was that nothing should get between the shopper and the web page during a payment.
Apple restated it in WWDC 2020's What's new in Wallet and Apple Pay: Apple Pay transactions were not possible if script was injected into a WKWebView on iOS, and new limits on script injection would let more pages use Apple Pay.
Do Instagram and TikTok inject script? In August 2022, developer Felix Krause reported that Instagram's and Facebook's iOS in-app browsers injected JavaScript into the websites they displayed, and his follow-up tests found TikTok's doing the same. Meta and TikTok described their code as serving measurement and debugging. For Apple Pay the purpose doesn't matter: Apple's rule applies to any injected script.
| Where the page is open on iPhone | What Apple documents for Apple Pay |
|---|---|
| Safari | Supported |
| SFSafariViewController, the in-app Safari view | Supported |
| An app's own WKWebView, no script injected into the page | Allowed since iOS 13 |
| An app's own WKWebView, script injected into the page | Not allowed on that page |
Google Pay in Android in-app browsers
Google's Google Pay guide for Android WebView says Google Pay in a WebView relies on the Payment Request API, which is disabled by default in WebView. The app has to switch it on, and the phone needs WebView version 137 or later and Google Play services 25.18.30 or later. Without those, the check a site uses to decide whether to offer Google Pay returns false, so the button doesn't appear. Google's troubleshooting page also lists an error for Google Pay failing to load because the app uses a WebView.
Not every Android in-app browser is a WebView. Android's embedded web documentation also describes Custom Tabs, which use the user's default browser and its session. Instagram and TikTok don't document which approach they use on your phone, and it can change, so test the actual journey.
Shop Pay and other express checkout buttons
Shopify's help page on dynamic checkout buttons says which button a shopper sees depends on the store's payment settings, whether Shop Promise is active, the shopper's browser and device, and their personal payment history. Its Apple Pay page says customers must use Safari on a compatible device to pay with Apple Pay.
We found no Shopify page about in-app browsers specifically. Because the browser and payment history are on Shopify's list, a different set of buttons inside Instagram or TikTok is plausible, but Shopify doesn't say exactly what changes. If Shop Pay or Google Pay is missing in TikTok's browser, compare the same product page in Chrome or Safari before concluding anything.
If you're shopping: what to try
- 1
Check where the page is open
An in-app browser usually shows the app's own toolbar and a close button rather than Safari's or Chrome's address bar. If you're unsure, the in-app browser checker tells you which browser it was opened in.
- 2
- 3
Add the items again
Opening the page in another browser doesn't carry over a cart from the in-app view. You may need to choose the product, size and quantity again.
- 4
Look for Apple Pay there
If the button is missing in Safari too, the in-app browser wasn't the cause. Apple Pay also depends on a supported device and region, a card in Wallet and the shop's own setup.
- 5
Don't pay twice
If you already tried to pay inside the app, check your email and your bank's app for a confirmation before you try again.
If you're selling: what to test
- 1Start from the real link. Tap your bio, Story or ad link inside Instagram and TikTok on an iPhone and an Android phone. Note which wallet buttons appear, then open the same page in Safari and Chrome and compare. Record app and operating-system versions.
- 2Rule out your own setup first. If a wallet is missing in Safari or Chrome too, look at your payment settings. Apple lists HTTPS and a verified domain among its requirements for Apple Pay on the web, and Shopify lists its own on its Apple Pay page.
- 3Only show a wallet button that works. If you build your own checkout, Apple's WWDC 2019 advice is to check whether Apple Pay can be used before showing its button, so shoppers never see a button that does nothing. Shopify decides which of its buttons to show for you.
- 4Keep a path without a wallet. Check that card entry or your other payment methods complete inside the in-app browser, so a missing wallet button isn't a dead end.
- 5Suggest the browser before the cart, not at payment. A cart built inside the app may not follow the shopper. If you point people to Safari or Chrome, do it on the product or link page.
- 6Count orders, not taps. Compare completed orders by source and device. A browser switch adds a step, and it doesn't guarantee that the wallet appears.
What OpenOut can and can't do here
OpenOut can't make Apple Pay, Google Pay or Shop Pay appear inside an in-app browser; that is decided by the app, the operating system and the shop. What its breakout engine does is offer visitors a way into their usual browser before they reach your shop. It is part of the Pro and Agency plans and has to be switched on. On iPhone the default is a guided copy flow, with no automatic attempt to open Safari; on Android, OpenOut makes an opening attempt when the visitor taps. Nothing guarantees that the external browser opens, so copying the link and manual instructions always remain available.
Whether a wallet then appears still depends on the shop, the device and the browser. If you send shoppers through affiliate links, affiliate links and in-app browsers covers what to check for attribution. Wallets aren't the only thing an in-app browser can lack: see why you're logged out when you open links from Instagram or TikTok. Plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Apple Pay not showing in Instagram's browser?
Links from Instagram usually open in its own in-app browser, not Safari. Apple documents Apple Pay on the web for Safari and its in-app Safari view, and blocks it in an app's own web view on pages where the app has injected script. Open the page in Safari and check there.
Does Apple Pay work in in-app browsers at all?
It can. Apple supports it in SFSafariViewController and, since iOS 13, in an app's own WKWebView as long as no script has been injected into the page. Apps don't document which kind of view they use, so results differ between apps and versions.
Why are Google Pay or Shop Pay missing in TikTok's browser?
In an Android WebView, Google Pay needs the app to enable the Payment Request API and recent WebView and Play services versions. Shopify says its buttons depend on the browser, device, store settings and payment history. Neither TikTok nor Shopify documents the in-app case, so compare with Chrome or Safari.
Why is checkout not working in Instagram?
A missing wallet is one possible cause; the shop's setup, the cart or a sign-in step are others. Try the same checkout in Safari or Chrome. If it works there, the in-app browser is involved; if it fails there too, contact the shop.
Can OpenOut make Apple Pay work inside Instagram or TikTok?
No. OpenOut's breakout engine, part of the Pro and Agency plans, offers a route to the visitor's usual browser: a guided copy flow on iPhone and an opening attempt on Android. It can't guarantee that the browser opens or that a wallet appears there.