How To Detect Browser Back Button Click Event Using Angular

When you are working on a web application using Angular, it can be quite handy to detect when a user clicks the browser back button. Handling this event can help you customize the user experience or implement specific actions based on this interaction. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to detect the browser back button click event using Angular.

To begin with, understanding how to capture the browser back button click event involves working with Angular's Router service. Angular Router provides a way to listen for navigation events, including those triggered by the browser's back and forward buttons.

One of the essential components you will be using in this process is the Router service from Angular. The Router service will enable you to subscribe to navigation events and capture the specific event relevant to the browser back button click.

Let's dive into the practical steps to achieve this functionality:

Step 1: Inject the Router Service:
In your Angular component where you want to detect the browser back button click event, you need to inject the Router service provided by Angular. You can achieve this by including the following line in the constructor of your component:

constructor(private router: Router) { }

Step 2: Subscribe to Navigation Events:
After injecting the Router service, you can subscribe to navigation events to capture the browser back button click event. You can do this by adding the following code snippet in your component:

ngOnInit() {
  this.router.events.pipe(filter((event) => event instanceof NavigationStart))
    .subscribe((event: NavigationStart) => {
      if (event.navigationTrigger === 'popstate') {
        // This block of code will execute when the back button is clicked
        console.log('Browser back button clicked!');
        // Perform any specific actions here
      }
    });
}

Step 3: Handle the Back Button Click Event:
Within the subscription block, you can include the logic to handle the browser back button click event. This is where you can execute specific actions or trigger functions based on this user interaction.

By following these steps, you can effectively detect the browser back button click event using Angular. This functionality empowers you to enhance the user experience of your web application by responding to navigation events triggered by the back button. Experiment with different actions or features that can be linked to this event to create a more dynamic and engaging user interface.