Universal linking

Universal linking is the magical tech fairy dust that lets you click a link and get whisked directly to an app – if it's on your phone – rather than fumbling around the web like a digital headless chicken. It’s like teleportation for your thumbs. Without it, you’d be stuck in the dark ages, manually searching apps like a caveman searching for fire.

Universal linking, often referred to as Universal Links, is a technology introduced by Apple with iOS 9 that allows seamless linking to both web and in-app content from a single URL. This mechanism benefits marketers and developers by providing a streamlined user experience; when users click a universal link, they are directed to the corresponding content within an app if it is installed, or to a web page if it is not. Unlike URL schemes that can only open apps, universal links work on both iOS devices and browsers, offering significant advantages for app engagement and retention strategies. Moreover, it eliminates the need for interstitial redirects or promotional web pages, thereby enhancing the efficiency and speed of user navigation.