How do I test a deep link on Android?

Run adb shell am start -W -a android.intent.action.VIEW -c android.intent.category.BROWSABLE -d "your-link" your.package with the device connected, or tap the link on a web page on the phone.

How do I test a universal link on iOS?

Run xcrun simctl openurl booted 'your-link' for the Simulator, or tap the link from Notes, Messages or a web page on the device. Typing it into Safari's address bar doesn't open the app.

Why does my universal link open Safari instead of the app?

Usually the apple-app-site-association file doesn't list the app or excludes the path, Apple's CDN has an old copy, the Associated Domains entitlement is missing, or the link was typed or opened from the same domain.

Deep Link Tester: App Links, Universal Links & URL Schemes

Deep link tester

Paste a link your app should open. Get the adb and Simulator commands, a QR code to test it on your phone, and for https links whether iOS and Android will actually open the app.

Try: ·

Three kinds of deep links

	Looks like	When the app isn’t installed	Needs
Android App Links	`https://example.com/p/42`	Opens the web page	`assetlinks.json` on the domain and an `autoVerify` intent filter
iOS Universal Links	`https://example.com/p/42`	Opens the web page	`apple-app-site-association` on the domain and the Associated Domains entitlement
Custom URL scheme	`myapp://product/42`	Error or nothing	An intent filter (Android) or `CFBundleURLTypes` (iOS)

For links you share in emails, ads and social posts, use https links: they fall back to your website, and only your verified app can open them. Custom schemes are fine for links between your own apps.

How to test a deep link

Paste the link, and your Android package name and iOS App ID if you have them.
Run the adb or simctl command with a device or simulator connected.
Scan the QR code and tap the links on the test page on a real phone. Tapping is what users do; typing a link into the address bar doesn’t open apps.
For https links, check the Will it open the app? section: it reads the association files from the domain and tells you which rule matches the path.

Is my link stored?

No. The commands and QR code are made in your browser, and the phone test page reads the link from the part of the URL after #, which browsers don’t send to servers. For https links, the domain’s association files are fetched to check them.

Related tools

Validate and generate the association files with the App Links & Universal Links validator, and share one link that opens the right store with the smart app link & QR code tool.