In-app browsers
How to open links in your browser on X (Twitter)
X has offered a switch for its in-app browser on some versions, but it isn't documented in X's help pages and can reset. What to check, and what to do without it.
To open links in your browser on X, first check whether your app has a Use in-app browser switch; guides place it under Settings and privacy → Accessibility, display and languages → Display (Display and sound on some versions). If it's there, turn it off. If not, use the opened page's menu or share button, or copy the link into Safari or Chrome.
Check for the in-app browser switch
- 1
Open Settings and privacy
In the X app, open your profile menu and tap Settings and privacy.
- 2
Go to Accessibility, display and languages
X's own help page for the iOS app documents this path, with a Display and sound tab inside it (X Help Center); that page describes it for dark mode.
- 3
Look for the browser option
Guides describe a switch named Use in-app browser on that Display screen, sometimes under a heading about the web browser. Some versions may word it as a choice of browser instead.
- 4
Turn it off, then test
Open a link from a post. If it now opens in Safari or Chrome, you're done. If it still opens inside X, use the per-link steps below.
Check the switch again after an app update. In one public post we found from August 2026, an Android user on X reported that the setting had switched itself back on, overriding their choice. One report doesn't make it common, but it costs nothing to check.
No switch? Open one link at a time
- 1
Let the page load inside X
Tap the link in the post or message.
- 2
Look for a menu or share button
Check the in-app page's controls for an option such as Open in browser, Open in Safari or a browser name. Wording and position vary by version.
- 3
Copy the address otherwise
Use a copy option if one is offered, then paste the address into your browser yourself.
Why the link you copy often starts with t.co
X wraps every link posted on X, including links in Direct Messages, in its own t.co address, according to its help page about X's link service. A copied t.co link still works in Safari or Chrome: it passes through X's service and then forwards to the real website. The same page says X warns before you continue if a link matches its lists of known dangerous sites.
Two practical consequences. If you want the website's own address, for example to bookmark it or send it on, copy it from the opened page rather than from the post. And if you're sharing a link that X wrongly blocks or labels, X's page on how it blocks links asks you to report it with the full, expanded address, not the t.co one.
iPhone and Android
- iPhone: your default browser is an iOS setting and only decides which browser opens when an app hands a link over. If X keeps the page in its own view, the switch or the per-link menu is what changes that.
- Android: with the in-app browser off, links normally open in the browser Android has set as the default. Because of the reported reset, recheck the X setting after updates.
The opposite problem: x.com links open the X app
Some people searching this want something else: an x.com post to open on the website instead of jumping into the X app. That isn't X's in-app browser at all. On Android, guides describe turning off Open supported links under the X app's Open by default entry in Android's own app settings. On iPhone, one suggestion in guides is to paste the post's address into the browser's address bar instead of tapping it, since a tap is what hands the link to the app.
For creators sharing links on X
- Test both ways. Your followers may have the in-app browser on or off. Test the same link with each setting on iPhone and Android, and record which step fails, if any.
- Expect counts to differ. Clicks are counted on X's side through t.co, and visits on your destination's side after the redirect. The two are measured at different points and shouldn't be expected to match.
- Sign-in is the usual weak spot. If your page uses Google sign-in, see Error 403: disallowed_useragent for what visitors may run into in embedded browsers.
OpenOut's detector recognises X by specific app markers in the user agent rather than any mention of the site, and not every X version or browser view sends them. When it does recognise X, and you have switched browser guidance on (Pro and Agency), it shows before your page: by default an opening attempt on Android and a guided copy flow on iPhone. Neither is guaranteed to reach the browser, so copy and manual steps stay available. Visitors who have already switched X's in-app browser off simply arrive in their browser. See the supported apps list and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop X from opening links in its own browser?
Look for a Use in-app browser switch under Settings and privacy, Accessibility, display and languages, Display (Display and sound on some versions), and turn it off if your version has it. Otherwise, open each link in your browser from the page's menu or by copying it.
Why does a link copied from X start with t.co?
X wraps every link posted on X, including in Direct Messages, in its t.co link service. The t.co address forwards to the real website, so it works when pasted into Safari or Chrome.
Is the in-app browser setting on both iPhone and Android?
Guides describe it on both, but X's help pages we found don't document it, and its name and location vary by version. Check your own settings rather than relying on a fixed path.
Why do links open inside X again after I turned the setting off?
In one public post we found from August 2026, an Android user on X reported that the setting had switched itself back on. Check the setting again after updating the app, and use the per-link menu meanwhile.