Android WebView Cookie Problem

Question

I have a server that sends my android app a session cookie to be used for authenticated communication. I am trying to load a WebView with a URL pointing to that same server and I'm trying to pass in the session cookie for authentication. I am observing that it works intermittently but I have no idea why. I use the same session cookie to make other calls on my server and these never fail authentication. I only observe this problem when trying to load a URL in a WebView, and it does not happen every time. Very frustrating.

Below is the code that I'm using to do this. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

String myUrl = ""http://mydomain.com/"; 
CookieSyncManager.createInstance(this); 
CookieManager cookieManager = CookieManager.getInstance(); 
Cookie sessionCookie =  getCookie(); 
if(sessionCookie != null){ 
    String cookieString = sessionCookie.getName() +"="+sessionCookie.getValue()+"; domain="+sessionCookie.getDomain(); 
    cookieManager.setCookie(myUrl, cookieString); 
    CookieSyncManager.getInstance().sync(); 
} 

WebView webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webview); 
webView.getSettings().setBuiltInZoomControls(true); 
webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true); 
webView.setWebViewClient(new MyWebViewClient()); 
webView.loadUrl(myUrl);

Answer 1

I magically solved all my cookie problems with this one line in onCreate:

CookieHandler.setDefault(new CookieManager());

edit: it stopped working today. :( what the crap, android.

Answer 2

Solution:Webview CookieSyncManager

CookieSyncManager cookieSyncManager = CookieSyncManager.createInstance(mWebView.getContext());
CookieManager cookieManager = CookieManager.getInstance();
cookieManager.setAcceptCookie(true);
cookieManager.removeSessionCookie();
cookieManager.setCookie("http://xx.example.com","mid="+MySession.GetSession().sessionId+" ; Domain=.example.com");
cookieSyncManager.sync();

String cookie = cookieManager.getCookie("http://xx.example.com");

Log.d(LOGTAG, "cookie ------>"+cookie);
mWebView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
mWebView.setWebViewClient(new TuWebViewClient());
mWebView.loadUrl("http://xx.example.com");

Answer 3

I have faced same problem and It will resolve this issue in all android versions

private void setCookie() {
    try {
        CookieSyncManager.createInstance(context);
        CookieManager cookieManager = CookieManager.getInstance();
        cookieManager.setAcceptCookie(true);
        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) {
            cookieManager.setCookie(Constant.BASE_URL, getCookie(), value -> {
                String cookie = cookieManager.getCookie(Constant.BASE_URL);
                CookieManager.getInstance().flush();
                CustomLog.d("cookie", "cookie ------>" + cookie);
                setupWebView();
            });
        } else {
            cookieManager.setCookie(webUrl, getCookie());
            new Handler().postDelayed(this::setupWebView, 700);
            CookieSyncManager.getInstance().sync();
        }

    } catch (Exception e) {
        CustomLog.e(e);
    }
}

Answer 4

Thanks Android for ruining my Sunday . . . Heres what fixed my Apps ( after you init your webview )

if ( Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP ) {

  CookieManager cookieManager = CookieManager.getInstance();

  cookieManager.setAcceptThirdPartyCookies( webView, true );

}

I should say the above answers will probably work but in my situation the moment Android went v5+ my android webview javascript 'apps' died.

Answer 5

Thanks justingrammens! That worked for me, I managed to share the cookie within my DefaultHttpClient requests and WebView activity:

//------- Native request activity
private DefaultHttpClient httpClient;
public static Cookie cookie = null;

//After Login
List<Cookie> cookies = httpClient.getCookieStore().getCookies();
for (int i = 0; i < cookies.size(); i++) {
    cookie = cookies.get(i);
}

//------- Web Browser activity
Cookie sessionCookie = myapp.cookie;
CookieSyncManager.createInstance(this);
CookieManager cookieManager = CookieManager.getInstance();
if (sessionCookie != null) {
    cookieManager.removeSessionCookie();
    String cookieString = sessionCookie.getName() + "=" + sessionCookie.getValue() + "; domain=" + sessionCookie.getDomain();
    cookieManager.setCookie(myapp.domain, cookieString);
    CookieSyncManager.getInstance().sync();
}   

Answer 6

I would save that session cookie as a preference and forcefully repopulate the cookie manager with it. It sounds that session cookie in not surviving Activity restart