Is there a way to detect with Google-Apps-Script whether Google Sheets is opened from Android app or from desktop browser?

Question

I have a small script that I have further reduced for the sake of this question. Basically it implements the onEdit function in which it may show an alert (using SpreadsheetApp.getUi().alert()) and will always show a message box (using Browser.msgBox()).

function onEdit(e) {
  const rg = e.range;

  // Do some stuff on rg and show alert if some condition is met.
  SpreadsheetApp.getUi().alert('Alert text!');

  var confirm = Browser.msgBox('Confirm','Are you sure?', Browser.Buttons.OK_CANCEL);
  if (confirm != 'ok') {
    return;
  }
  
  // Do some stuff.
}

The problem is the alert and message box are not working from Android app which compromises the whole function execution and the wanted changes do not happen. So I would like to detect if the sheet is opened from the Android app and if so skip showing the alert and message box but if a desktop browser is used, I still would like to show them.

I have browsed through the Script Services menu at Apps Script API but I did not find anything that could be used.

Answer 1

Google Apps Script services doesn't include a way to detect the if the user is using the desktop UI or the mobile app.

Possible workarounds

• Instead of using Class UI methods like alert or prompt or Class Browser methods, set a range as a notification area and put there your messages.
• Instead of using Google Sheets for data entry use a Google Form or create an app using Google Apps Script or AppSheet.

Related

• How to detect mobile user with Google App Script?
• Executing Google Apps Script Functions from Mobile App

Answer 2

I use the following to detect whether I am running using a browser on my Windows PC or on my Android mobile. I declare ui as a file level variable and then attempt to access it:

ui=null;

function getUserIf(){
  if(ui == null){
    try{
      ui=SpreadsheetApp.getUi();
    }catch(err){
      Logger.log(">>"+ui);
    }
  }
}

After calling getUserIf() you can test whether ui is still null to decide where you are running the script.