android won't open google play links from javascript in web-app

Question

I've got an html app which is wrapped in Phonegap and in the android store.

I'd like to put a link to the app within the app for users to update if an update is available.

According to the documentation, and some results here on SO, on devices,

< a href="market://details?id=com.myapp.name" > Update App </a>

opens the store, but I need to open the link from javascript.

I've tried both window.open and window.location.href but both of those open the browser and I get a URL not found error. The url in the browser turns out to be http://market://details...

Anybody know why or how I can link directly to the store, not to the play website?

---------------UPDATE -------------------

I don't want to open the play store in a browser, I am trying to open the native play store.

I know this is possible because smartbanner opens the proper store. http://jasny.github.io/jquery.smartbanner/

But I can't get it to work.

Answer 1

Turns out that phonegap basically steals the window.open, and was checking the protocol used within. Therefore using '_blank' within phonegap doesn't open a new browser window (as you'd expect) but instead opens a browser window within phonegap, which phonegap owns and only lets use either http or https protocols (I'm assuming those are the only two).

In order to pass a link to the system browser, you have to use

window.open("market://details?=com.your.app","_system");

and that will send the request out of phonegap and open the link in the native browser, which then redirects correctly to the native app store.

Answer 2

User target="_top"

 <a href="market://details?id={package_name}" target="_top">App</a>