What are Deep linking, URL scheme, Universal link & App link?
Nowadays everything is connected. Often we share links, so our apps cannot be out of the process. Deep linking helps you to improve your user experience. So don’t forget to use these useful concepts for your coding.
What is deep linking?
Deep linking is the idea of having a clickable link to open up your app (if the app is installed) and a smart one that will also navigate to the desired resource.
URL schemes, Universal Links and App Links are the various technology standards that make mobile deep links work.
There are 2 ways to implement deep linking in iOS: URL scheme and Universal Link. There is only one way to implement deep linking in Android: App Link.
What are URL schemes and Universal Links?
URL scheme is a well-known way of having deep linking, Universal link is the new way Apple has implemented to easily connect your webpage and your app under the same link.
Here are comparisons for you to choose from,
URL Scheme
Universal Links
Take note here, neither of these options will redirect you to the App Store if the app is not installed.
This is the permission popup displayed before opening the app in the URL scheme:
Link format for URL scheme: myapp://path/to/content
Universal Links will prompt the user to open the app via a sub-header, that you may have noticed in iOS Safari, where you have the corresponding app installed. Here is an example:
What are Universal Links and App Links?
Universal Links and App Links are similar mechanisms (one for iOS and one for Android) that can be applied to any campaign link in order to send users directly to an app. This is securely associated between your app and your website.
When a link is clicked, instead of opening the browser, the OS checks whether that Link is registered for the domain associated with the link, and then checks whether the corresponding app is installed. If the app is installed, it will be opened. If it is not, the browser will open and the http(s):// link will load.
Link format for Universal & App Links: https://mydomain.com/path/to/content
The response time is very quick because the operating system (OS) launches the app immediately without needing to open the browser or load the URL.
Hope you got a basic understanding of this deep link concept.
