Firebase - Dynamic Link

[Thiago Santos]

Hello, I 'm implementing firebase dynamic link, did all the implementation on iOS project like this in the manual and created links on the console. When I perform the tests so it opens the link in Safari iPhone , does not open my app . They have some hint of what could be wrong ? Thank you

[Alex Do]

I assume that you are testing Universal link. Have you checked the short link that Firebase created for you? For example, if your link is https://abc##.app.goo.gl, you can check whether your app is "whitelisted" for universal link by appending "apple-app-site-association" to the end of the link, such as https://abc##.app.goo.gl/apple-app-site-association

You should see a JSON formatted file like {"applinks":{"apps":[],"details":[]}} and your app ID should be in the list of apps. If your app is in the file, you can text or email yourself with the link https://abc##.app.goo.gl/#### and open it from Messenger or Email.

Remember to uninstall the app first before testing Universal Link. The OS tries to fetch the file on the first launch and caches it somehow.

If you don't support Universal Link but you still expect the short link to open your app, you need to provide the Link URL (exampleapp://someresource) that can open your app when you create Dynamic Link. Note that on both cases, you will need to modify the app's Info and Capabilities (https://firebase.google.com/docs/dynamic-links/ios#create-a-dynamic-link-programmatically)

Please let me know whether it works for you.

[Thiago Santos]

Hi Alex ,

I checked apple-app-site-assocation in my link , but my JSON not returned any App ID in the list of apps.When I insert apple-app-site-assocation in my domain , the file is downloaded and is similar to this :

{

  "applinks": {

      "apps": [],

          "details": [

          {

              "appID": “APP_ID.br.com.BUNDLE",

              "paths": [ "*" ]

          }

      ]

  }

}

I configured Universal Link and dynamic link  according firebase documentation but not work. Capabilities, associated domains,apple-app-site-assocation all them are implemented, but still not opening my app, always redirecting to app store or website.

help me please =)

[Alex Do]

Are you using iOS 9.x to test? Universal Links is only available on iOS 9.x. How did you configure your association file? Is it under the same domain with your short link that Firebase gave you?

Assume that your link is  https://abc##.app.goo.gl and your apple-app-site-association (I hope you did not mis-spell it as assocation) is right at the root folder, you should have your capability enabled and the domain like this applinks:abc##.app.goo.gl .  The domain must be the same with the short link. Redirecting to your own domain will probably not work. You can use your own domain and the association file but keep in mind that you should email your self your URL, not the Firebase short link to test because redirecting from the short link to your domain may not work.

Here are a few steps to test:

1. Uninstall your app, install the app and open it normally for the first time. I'd recommend to wait about several seconds to 1 minute for the first time so the OS can fetch the association files from the provided domains. (you can have multiple domains)

2. Then try to email yourself the link and tap on it from Email app. It should open the app instead of the browser.

3. If it did not open correctly or you implemented something wrong, repeat step 1. 

Universal link is pretty annoying and it took me lots of time when I first implemented it. I wish that Apple shows us some feedbacks to tell whether the file is downloaded correctly or check whether Universal link is correct. 

I hope this helps.

[Jan Klausa]

On Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at 5:40:55 PM UTC+2, Alex Do wrote:

If you don't support Universal Link but you still expect the short link to open your app, you need to provide the Link URL (exampleapp://someresource) that can open your app when you create Dynamic Link. Note that on both cases, you will need to modify the app's Info and Capabilities (https://firebase.google.com/docs/dynamic-links/ios#create-a-dynamic-link-programmatically)

My app does support Universal Links, and the app-site-association is fetched correctly.

The app opens fine if the link is clicked from within _other_ app - think Notes, or Messages. 

It does not, however open, when the user is opening the link in Safari.

(nor do we get any sort of callback from the Firebase later that'd allow us to associate the user)

Your advice about providing Link URL with `exampleapp://` is invalid, since Firebase requires the Link URL to be either a `http` or `https` link. I do provide custom `ius` value in my URLs, but that doesn't see to have any effect.

[Alex Do]

Jan,

Sorry, I was wrong to use the term "Link URL". I was confused it with the app custom URL scheme instead. It should be the URL to open your app. According to Firebase documentation, you can provide it in the optional iOS Custom Scheme

iOS Custom Scheme

Your app's custom URL scheme, if defined to be something other than your app's bundle ID

For example:

https://example.app.goo.gl/?link=https://www.example.com/someresource&apn=com.example.android&amv=3&al=exampleapp://someresource&ibi=com.example.ios&isi=1234567&ius=exampleapp

You can see in the URL params that ius contains the URL scheme to open the app. 

Thanks for correcting me.

[Jan Klausa]

On Friday, June 24, 2016 at 5:02:57 PM UTC+2, Alex Do wrote:

Jan,

Sorry, I was wrong to use the term "Link URL". I was confused it with the app custom URL scheme instead. It should be the URL to open your app. According to Firebase documentation, you can provide it in the optional iOS Custom 

No problem.

This doesn't however solve my problem — I provide both `ius` and `ibi` parameters, however my app isn't opened.