A WebView is an embeddable browser component that allows native mobile applications to display web content within the app. In the WebRTC context, WebViews are used to run WebRTC-based communication features inside native iOS and Android applications.
WebView and WebRTC
Running WebRTC inside a WebView has historically been challenging:
- Android WebView: Based on Chromium, supports WebRTC. getUserMedia requires explicit permissions handling in the native app
- iOS WKWebView: Apple added WebRTC support in iOS 14.3, but with limitations compared to Safari
- Cross-platform frameworks: React Native, Flutter, and Cordova wrap WebViews, each with their own WebRTC compatibility quirks
Alternatives to WebView
For better control and reliability, many developers choose native WebRTC SDKs (embedding libWebRTC directly) rather than running WebRTC through a WebView. This provides better access to audio processing (AEC, AGC), camera controls, and platform-specific optimizations.
