How to Make a Link Open the App, Not the Browser

If you'd rather your links open the native app — the Amazon app, Spotify, YouTube, your store's app — instead of a mobile web page, that's deep linking. Apps convert better because users are already logged in and checkout is faster. Here's how app-open works and how to set it up without writing code.

Why the app beats the browser

In the native app, the user is signed in, payment details are saved, and the experience is smoother. A mobile web page asks them to log in again and adds friction — so sending taps to the app usually lifts conversion.

The mechanisms that open apps

• Universal Links (iOS) / App Links (Android) — standard HTTPS links that open the app when installed and the web page when not.
• Custom URI schemes (like myapp://) — simple, but fail silently if the app isn't installed.
• Deferred deep links — survive an install so first-time users still land on the right screen.

The obstacle: in-app browsers

Links shared on social open inside in-app browsers that often refuse to fire these deep links, so the app doesn't open even when it's installed. Escaping the webview is half the battle.

How to set it up without code

A smart-link service sits between your shared link and the destination, detects the platform and whether the app is installed, escapes any in-app browser, and picks the right app-open method — while preserving your tracking. You don't configure anything per app.

The shortcut

Vayda does all of it from one link. Create your first smart link free.