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How to open link in app instead of browser?

To open a link in the app instead of the browser, the app has to be installed and allowed to handle that website's links. On Android, open Settings, go to Apps, select the app, tap Open by default, and turn on Open supported links. On iOS there is no toggle: if the app is installed and registered for the domain through Universal Links, a matching link opens the app automatically. When this does not happen, the cause is almost always that the app is not installed, the option is disabled, or the app's link verification is failing, so the system falls back to the browser.

Open Links in the App on Android

Android lets you decide, per app, which web addresses should bypass the browser and launch the app directly. This is controlled by the Open by default screen.

Open Settings on your phone and tap Apps (or Apps and notifications).
Select the app you want links to open in, then open its App info page.
Scroll down and tap Open by default.
Enable the toggle for Open supported links.
Tap Supported web addresses (or Add link) to confirm which domains route to the app, and make sure the ones you want are switched on.

You can also long-press a link and choose Open in [app] when the app supports that domain. If you once chose to always open a domain in the browser and want to undo it, go to Settings > Apps, open the menu, and tap Reset app preferences to bring back the open-by-default prompts.

Open Links in the App on iOS

iOS handles this through Universal Links rather than a manual switch. When the app declares a domain and is installed, the system intercepts matching links and opens the app for you.

Make sure the app is installed from the App Store, then open it once so iOS registers its associated domains.
Tap a matching link. If the app is set up correctly, it opens directly instead of Safari.
If the link still opens in Safari, long-press the link and choose Open in [App] from the menu.
When a page loads in Safari, scroll to the very top and tap the Open banner if one appears for the app.
If links never route to the app, delete and reinstall it so iOS re-fetches the association file from the website.

Unlike Android, iOS has no per-app "open supported links" toggle. Routing is decided entirely by the app's association file on the developer's server, so there is nothing extra for you to switch on as a user.

Why a Link Opens in the Browser Instead

The app is not installed: with no app to receive the link, the operating system has no choice but to load it in the browser.
Open supported links is off (Android): if the toggle is disabled, or you previously chose the browser, the link will keep opening there until you re-enable it.
Link verification is failing: both platforms check a file on the website's domain. A missing, mismatched, or non-HTTPS file means the system will not trust the link for the app.
The domain is not configured: the link points to a path or host the app never registered, so it is treated as a normal web link.
The tap happens inside an in-app browser: social apps and webviews open links themselves, so the OS never sees the tap and App Links or Universal Links cannot fire.

How Developers Make Links Open the App

If you build or test apps, the user-facing behaviour above is the result of a few well-defined mechanisms. On Android, the app declares an intent filter for http and https links and sets autoVerify to true, while the website hosts a Digital Asset Links file at /.well-known/assetlinks.json so Android can confirm the app owns that domain. Once verified, those App Links open the app with no chooser. Custom-scheme deep links such as myapp://path need no verification but usually surface a chooser and cannot be triggered reliably from a plain web page.

On iOS, the app adds the Associated Domains entitlement with an applinks: entry, and the website hosts an apple-app-site-association (AASA) file at /.well-known/ that lists the app identifiers and the paths to capture. When the file matches, iOS routes those Universal Links straight to the app. For cases where the app is not yet installed, deferred deep linking sends the user to the store first and then opens the intended in-app content after the first launch.

App Links vs Universal Links at a Glance

Aspect	Android App Links	iOS Universal Links
Link type	Standard http/https URLs	Standard https URLs
Verification file	assetlinks.json in /.well-known/	apple-app-site-association in /.well-known/
App configuration	Intent filter with autoVerify	Associated Domains entitlement
User toggle	Open supported links (per app)	None; automatic when registered
If unverified	Shows app/browser chooser	Falls back to Safari

Testing Deep Links Across Devices

Because routing depends on a verification file plus the exact OS version and OEM skin, the same link can open the app on one phone and the browser on another. For a quick local check, Android testers can trigger a link with adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "https://example.com/path", while iOS testers can use xcrun simctl openurl on a simulator. These confirm the intent filter or association is wired up, but they do not capture how a real Samsung One UI or Xiaomi build resolves the chooser, or whether the AASA file is reachable from a real network.

To validate App Link and Universal Link behaviour the way users actually experience it, run the links across real Android and iOS devices using TestMu AI'sReal Device Cloud. You can confirm that verified links open the app directly, reproduce cases where they fall back to the browser, and capture logs and video for the OS and device combinations that matter to your users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a link open in the browser instead of the app?

Usually because the app is not installed, the Open supported links option is turned off on Android, or the app's link verification is failing. Both platforms rely on a verification file hosted on the website's domain; if that file is missing, misconfigured, or unreachable over HTTPS, the system will not trust the link for the app and falls back to the browser.

How do I make links open in the app on Android?

Go to Settings, open Apps, select the app, tap Open by default, and enable Open supported links. You can also review the list of supported web addresses to confirm the domains that should route to the app. After that, tapping a matching link opens the app directly.

How do Universal Links work on iOS?

iOS uses Universal Links. When the app is installed and registered for a domain, tapping a matching link opens the app automatically with no toggle required. If it opens in Safari instead, long-press the link and choose Open in the app, or reinstall the app so iOS re-fetches the association file.

Why don't links open in the app from inside Instagram or other apps?

Many social apps open links in their own in-app browser or webview. Because the tap never reaches the operating system, App Links and Universal Links do not fire there. Opening the same link in the system browser, or choosing Open in external browser from the app's menu, lets the link route to the native app.

What is the difference between Android App Links and deep links?

Custom-scheme deep links use a URI like myapp://path and are not verified, so Android often shows a chooser asking whether to open the app or the browser. App Links are standard https links verified through a Digital Asset Links file, so a verified link opens the app directly with no chooser.

How do I test that a deep link opens the right app?

On Android use adb am start with the VIEW action and the link URL; on iOS use xcrun simctl openurl on a simulator. For real-world coverage, run the same links across real Android and iOS devices in a device cloud, since verification and chooser behaviour vary by OS version and OEM.