PDF Downloads Fail Client Side

[Lance]

I have no issues downloading PDFs on an iPhone.
Sounds like a server side problem.
Get an SSL cert though FFS…. It’s the 21st century.

[ladymuck]

SSL is pretty much free these days so there's no reason not to use it

[Largely Ginny]

OK, why?



Not sure if you're the technical one, but not using HTTPS is going to cause issues with browsers and security software.

Because it's not actually a new site as such, just a rehash of an existing site with different tech but still using the same host and SSL was never set up in the past.

[WTFH]

No, it's Http

OK, why?

No, that's half the problem - I'm getting relayed everything from a non technical client.

Not sure if you're the technical one, but not using HTTPS is going to cause issues with browsers and security software.

[Largely Ginny]

Is the link to the PDF an HTTPS link? Some browsers will block the download if it's come from an HTTP link.

No, it's Http

Do they say what sort of errors? The error message(s) might give a clue as to what the issue is.

No, that's half the problem - I'm getting relayed everything from a non technical client.

[Largely Ginny]

Have you tried it on an iPhone yourself?

Have tried it on an iPad and various iPhone instances in BrowserStack but not an actual iPhone. All work ok

[fulcon]

Is the link to the PDF an HTTPS link? Some browsers will block the download if it's come from an HTTP link.

[DealorNoDeal]

...my client is telling me she is getting reports of users getting errors downloading the file.

Do they say what sort of errors? The error message(s) might give a clue as to what the issue is.

[eek]

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=iphon...ownloading+pdf

Truns out it's one of those things because iPhones and iPads aren't designed for downloading files.

[WTFH]

Have you tried it on an iPhone yourself?

[Largely Ginny]

Not really sure how to approach this but the scenario is this.

User buys a PDF booklet, pays via Paypal and redirects to a subscriptions page on successful payment where they click a link and the booklet downloads and opens in a new tab.

Except it doesn't always as my client is telling me she is getting reports of users getting errors downloading the file. Everything is good server side, I've put diagnostics in for the whole journey & I can also see where they are clicking the link the server returns a 200 response.

A lot of these users seem to be on iphones - is there anything in the settings that would prevent a pdf being downloaded and generating an error message? Maybe some kind of network issue?

Really have no idea how to try to solve this issue as it's occurring out there in the wild, so to speak