An Older phpBB Tapatalk Banner: Check the Integration Before Editing

Published June 4, 2024 • phpBB / Forum Management

Can I remove this old Tapatalk banner and keep the forum working? Check the plugin version before editing files.

This is an archived example. It isn't a checked fix for every release of phpBB or Tapatalk. No forum was changed as part of this rewrite.

Check the Installed Plugin

Record the installed forum version, the plugin release and any existing local modifications. Look for a supported banner setting in the guide for that version first.

I'd use a setting if it solves the problem. If the files don't match this example, stop. A line that looks similar isn't a sound reason to change it.

The Old File Edit

The earlier guide named this file path:

/mobiquo/smartbanner/head.inc.php

It then picked this statement:

$app_head_include .= $app_banner_head;

The statement adds the banner value to the head-include variable. The old edit puts a comment marker at its start:

//$app_head_include .= $app_banner_head;

That changes one statement. It doesn't establish that the plugin's remaining features behave correctly. The surrounding code matters, and old line numbers won't always match.

Save the File Before an Edit

For a matching file, preserve a restoration copy and note the edit. I'd try the change on a separate test copy when one is available.

Use the cache controls documented for that forum version. The earlier guide used General in the admin panel, then Purge the cache. The labels may differ in another release.

Check threads and login as both a visitor and a member. Review the mobile view too. If members use the app, check that connection as its own task.

The banner being gone doesn't prove that each of those paths works. If a new fault appears, restore the saved file and look into it.

Leave a Note for Future Updates

A plugin update may replace the edited file. Maintenance notes should identify the release, the edited statement and the restoration copy. Review the change after an update, rather than assuming that the earlier modification still applies.

I wouldn't delete other files just because their names mention the banner. Removing a prompt and removing the whole plugin are different jobs.