I'm researching the feasibility of developing an Instant App that users can launch from clicking a URL, NFC tag QR code. All backed by App Links, of course.
Instant Apps have been around for 5 years but are they actually supported? I've found some companies that have Instant Apps:
Expectation:
I'd expect to be able to tap any Vimeo URL anywhere and it would open the company's Instant App. I also expect the same behavior from a URL that gets resolved from a QR code or NFC tag. That's what the Google I/O videos suggest, anyway.
Reality:
On a Pixel 3 running Android 11, the ONLY way I can get an Instant App to open is by clicking the “Try Now” button in Google Play. The two IA-related system settings don't seem to change anything.
After launching the IA app from Google Play first, links from those companies always open the Instant App as expected. That's fine, but defeats the purpose if I need to go to Google Play anyway.
More context: I am in the US, and I'm signed into the Google Play store. I've turned on every IA setting I've found as well.
Question:
Is there any way to simply share a link and go to the Instant App directly?
After a day of research and trying different things, I finally got Instant Apps to work for me. Clicking a link, scanning a QR code or tapping an NFC tag all work without having to go to Google Play first.
The problem I had was that I was signed into all my Android test devices using a Google Workspace account (i.e. not a @gmail.com email address). Once I switched to a Gmail account, Instant Apps worked seamlessly. Give that a shot if you're running into the same issue. This requirement is not documented.