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we are currently in the process of linking our web portal to our native app (iOS). In the first step, we will try to implement some Deeplinks.

Therefore it is planned to host the "apple app site association file" on the domain (e.g portal.example.com) and provide deeplinks with the help of Universal Links. However, before we start the implementation, there are some questions left:

  1. Let's say we have only 3 URLs that should deeplink to the app. Each of them will get an own row in the paths section:
    1. portal.example.com/functions/firstfunction
    2. portal.example.com/functions/secondfunction
    3. portal.example.com/functions/thirdfunction

If the User now opens the first URL, he will be asked if he wants to open it in the app, right? Let's pretend the user accepts and opens the URL in the app. What happens if he then goes back to the portal and tries to open the second URL? Will he be asked again, or will the app remember the decision and open any URL from the aasa file in the app?

  1. What happens if we use wildcards and write the path like this: "portal.example.com/functions/*"

Thank you and bg!

MrRusskk
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  • https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/General/Conceptual/AppSearch/UniversalLinks.html – Warren Burton Jan 21 '19 at 11:05
  • Thank you @WarrenBurton! I have already read the documentation, but found no answer to my first question. According to the documentation, once the user decides to opens one URL with the app, every URL, from now on will be opened with the app. The question is: is it possible to ask him about it every time? So that the user gets the opportunity to decide for each function? – MrRusskk Jan 21 '19 at 11:41

1 Answers1

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Let me first correct you:

If you use 'universal links', and you open any url, then it will not first ask you that "open in app" and then if denies then to webpage.

But it will be work in this manner:

  1. You must be opening URL in iOS device's safari browser(it will not work for other browsers).
  2. It will first open the webpage. If it finds 'apple-app-site-association' file on that website + It also finds the app with same path in its associated domains section installed on device. Then it will show top bar like below image:

enter image description here

Now, if use clicks on this OPEN button, then only your app is going to be opened. If you come back from app to website, this will remain as it is on top.

Answer to your second question: If you provide only specific domains, then the above popup will be visible only for specific webpages. If you are using wildcards, then all webpages which comes under that wild card, will have top bar like above image.

One more thing to note while you are developing above feature: Universal links get associated while you install the app OR update to new version. So, while developing app - let you have installed app without any associated domains, now you added associated domains in app, and installed app again(via xcode) on your device, and open the webpage in safari. Then above will not work. To make it work, either you have to remove/uninstall the app first and then install it again OR you have to change the version.

Mehul Thakkar
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  • ok, nice explanation. But one more question: let's say there is only a function description in our web portal but the function itself is only available in the app. Now we want to add a link below the description of the functionality to allow the user to jump directly into that function in the app. How is that possibly, if the linking is only possible with that "smart banner" you described above? Thank you very much for the explanation! – MrRusskk Jan 21 '19 at 12:57