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According to the official document, Firebase Dynamic Links will be deprecated.

Firebase Dynamic Links is no longer recommended for new projects. In the future, the Dynamic Links service will shut down, but you will have at least 12 months from the announcement date to migrate.

It suggests we use App Links or Universal Links, but they are not providing the full functionalities as Firebase Dynamic Links, such as the behavior on different platforms like the image below.

Is there any way I can duplicate the behavior that the Firebase Dynamic link does on different platforms?

behavior on different platforms

Mark Rotteveel
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Allen
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  • Which specific functionality don't you get from App Links/Universal links? – Paulw11 Jun 02 '23 at 05:47
  • The behavior on different platforms. It should be different when we open the link on the web, the app is installed and the app is not installed. – Allen Jun 02 '23 at 07:44
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    You are describing exactly how a Universal link works on iOS and an app link on Android. If you open a Universal link on iOS and the app is installed then you get your app. If the app isn't installed it goes to your web site where you can direct people to the App Store. If you open the link from a Mac/pc then you get the web page – Paulw11 Jun 02 '23 at 09:41
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    *firebaser here* Firebase Dynamic Links are built using App Links and Universal Links and so reuse their functionality directly to provide the post-app installation flow in the diagram and that Paulw11 described. One difference is in the pre-app installation flow, but for that use case there are other providers who can support it. We'll also have more details to share on the when the official announcement is made. – Sumit Chandel Jun 02 '23 at 16:22
  • Thanks all for the clarification. @SumitChandel May I know what the difference is in the pre-app installation flow? – Allen Jun 03 '23 at 09:13
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    In the pre-app install flow, clicking the dynamic link will direct to the user to the appropriate store for their device (e.g. Play Store, App Store) and persist a deep-link that can be received in the app after the user downloads, installs and opens it for the first time. This part of the functionality will not be replaceable with App Links and Universal Links alone, but as Paulw11 pointed out, one option may be to direct users to a website where they can clickthrough to the appropriate store to download your app instead. Note this wouldn't persist a deep-link post-installation though. – Sumit Chandel Jun 07 '23 at 15:24
  • Following up on @SumitChandel's comment, you can persist the deep-link and attribution parameters from desktop to mobile via something like a QR code, similar to how Appsflyer's "smart script" works. Direct the user to your website's download page, show them a QR code that pulls the parameters from the referred link and then when opened on the mobile device the attribution and deep link will persist through app install. – Daniel M. Jun 14 '23 at 02:19
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    @SumitChandel So Firebase is getting rid of something working perfectly fine and doesn't provide viable alternative? One of biggest benefits of Dynamic Links was pre-app install flow, App Links doesn't solve it whatsoever... – xinaiz Jun 28 '23 at 20:38
  • @SumitChandel can you describe specifically how we can replicate deferred deep linking with App Links or Universal Links? Specifically: storing parameters with the user *before* the app is installed, and then providing those parameters within the native app once it's installed, in order to show specific content associated with the original link. Deferred deep linking is a huge feature that's offered by Firebase Dynamic Links, Branch.io, AppsFlyer and more. It's a difficult feature to implement, especially after Apple killed the IDFA ID - and disingenuous to say it can be easily replicated. – Sam Mueller Jun 30 '23 at 22:28
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    @SamMueller Indeed, the pre-app installation flow and deferred deep linking experience is something that cannot be replicated using App Links / Universal Links alone. For those use cases, using or migrating to a different provider would be the best alternative. – Sumit Chandel Jul 10 '23 at 15:47
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    Thanks for being honest @SumitChandel. I've got my fingers crossed that Firebase reverses course on this decision, because so many devs will be left out to dry. – Sam Mueller Jul 13 '23 at 03:05
  • @SamMueller I agree on hoping Firebase decides to reverse course on this decision. My dynamic links work perfectly, and I need the deep linking capabilities to survive the app install process for the app to work properly. However, this doesn't seem like it is possible with App and Universal links? – Dennis Ashford Aug 23 '23 at 12:08

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