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Universal link doesn't open the app on iOS


I have an app with MagicLink authentication implemented using universal links. The app and the server are configured to handle universal links following Apple’s documentation (https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/General/Conceptual/AppSearch/UniversalLinks.html).

The link successfully launches the app from Apple Mail + Safari. However when I try to open it from GoogleMail + Chrome, it redirect to the AppStore.

It is important to notice that the app isn’t on the AppStore yet and I’m trying to sort out the issue before publishing it.

I can reproduce the issue on the iPhone 6s with iOS 10


Solution

  • This is a known issue with a number of apps. Universal Links do not work in many situations, with the Gmail app being one of them. See a more detailed list here.

    To work around this limitation, your Universal Link URL needs to lead to a page with a button/link on it the user can activate. At Branch.io, we offer a Deepviews feature for this purpose. You'll need to build something similar.