# Links on touchscreens

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-on-touchscreens/930792>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 18, 2021, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-on-touchscreens/930792 "2021-01-18T10:12:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-on-touchscreens/930792/1 "2021-01-18T10:12:20Z")

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Is there any way to find out where a link goes before clicking it on a touchscreen device? Sometimes people unexpectedly link to YouTube videos and I don’t want my phone randomly blaring out sound.

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**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-on-touchscreens/930792/2 "2021-01-18T10:18:40Z")

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On my phone, android, if I touch and hold the link an options box pops up with the link and options on what I would like to do with it.

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-on-touchscreens/930792/3 "2021-01-18T10:22:31Z")

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An iPhone (or other iOS device) will also preview a link if you tap and hold on the link for a bit rather than doing a quick tap. I do believe that it’s also loading the destination too, at least if it’s a web page, so if you want to preview before visiting this won’t work; you’re visiting the page although it’s in its own window/tab/whatever.

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**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-on-touchscreens/930792/4 "2021-01-18T11:26:01Z")

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> [@mikecurtis](#):
>
> On my phone, android, if I touch and hold the link an options box pops up with the link and options on what I would like to do with it.

I hadn’t thought of using that to peek at the URL, thanks. Now I just have to remember to do it!

What I really want is for my phone to ask me to confirm before opening a link in the YouTube app - “Are you sure you want to play loud noises in the waiting room/quiet carriage/by the sleeping baby?” - but that is probably impossible.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-on-touchscreens/930792/5 "2021-01-18T15:12:33Z")

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> [@DemonTree](#):
>
> What I really want is for my phone to ask me to confirm before opening a link in the YouTube app - “Are you sure you want to play loud noises in the waiting room/quiet carriage/by the sleeping baby?”

It can ask you–but only **VERY LOUDLY**. 🙂