Contacts API
Access the device address book from your web app: read contacts with user permission in WebViewGold for Android.
WebViewGold allows for the export of contacts into a JavaScript variable, in the format below via the readcontacts:// API. The JSON object is stored in the contacts variable. In order to access this, your app must first gain permission through the requestcontactpermission:// API, which will prompt your user to enable contact permissions. Without completing this step, the readcontacts:// will populate the contacts variable with a null value.
Example output stored in JS contacts variable:
{
"John Appleseed":[
"888-555-5512",
"888-555-1212"
],
"Daniel Higgins":[
"555-478-7672",
"(408) 555-5270",
"(408) 555-3514"
],
"David Taylor":[
"555-610-6679"
],
"Hank Zakroff":[
"(555) 766-4823",
"(707) 555-1854"
]
}
In order to add this contact functionality, the
android.permission.READ_CONTACTS permission needs to be added to the AndroidManifest.xml file so the permission can be granted by users.
SDK-style implementation notes
Treat this feature as a native capability exposed to your web layer: keep your production website or PWA as the source of truth, then use the documented WebViewGold configuration flags, URL commands, and JavaScript bridge calls to opt in to native Android behavior only where it adds value. This approach keeps your codebase maintainable because the same web application can serve browsers, WebViewGold for Android, and the other WebViewGold platforms with minimal conditional logic.
For reliable results, prefer HTTPS endpoints, stable route names, explicit success/error states in your UI, and small JavaScript helper functions that wrap native calls. For example, a web app built with jQuery Mobile, Lovable, Base44, Bolt, WordPress, Bubble, a custom React/Vue/Angular stack, or static HTML can expose a single button or event handler that triggers the native WebViewGold API while still showing a graceful browser fallback.
- Recommended integration pattern: detect the app context, call the WebViewGold API, then update your web UI after the native callback or route change.
- Testing checklist: validate the feature on a real device or packaged build, verify permissions and store review text, and confirm that browser-only users still receive a useful fallback.
- SEO benefit: keep feature pages, route titles, and structured content indexable on your website while WebViewGold delivers the native app shell for Android users.