Why is My Flutter App Opening a Deep Link URL in the Browser and Not Automatically Opening the Route in App?

Have you ever wondered why your Flutter app is opening a deep link URL in the browser instead of automatically opening the route within the app? You’re not alone! This is a common issue that many developers face, and today, we’re going to dive into the reasons behind it and provide you with a step-by-step guide to solve this problem once and for all.

Understanding Deep Links

Before we dive into the solution, let’s take a step back and understand what deep links are and how they work. A deep link is a URL that opens a specific page or section within a mobile app, rather than just the app’s homepage. This allows users to access specific content within the app, rather than having to navigate to it manually.

How Deep Links Work

To understand why your Flutter app is opening a deep link URL in the browser, we need to understand how deep links work. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

1. The user clicks on a deep link URL, which is typically in the format of https://example.com/path/to/resource.
2. The operating system (OS) receives the URL and checks if there’s an app that can handle it.
3. The OS searches for an app that has registered a intent filter or a universal link handler that can handle the URL.
4. If an app is found, the OS launches the app and passes the URL to it.
5. The app receives the URL and routes the user to the specific page or section within the app.

Now, let’s get back to the problem at hand – why is your Flutter app opening a deep link URL in the browser and not automatically opening the route within the app?

Reasons Why Your Flutter App is Opening a Deep Link URL in the Browser

There are several reasons why your Flutter app might be opening a deep link URL in the browser instead of automatically opening the route within the app. Here are some common reasons:

• Missing Intent Filters: If your Flutter app doesn’t have the necessary intent filters, the operating system won’t know that your app can handle the deep link URL.
• Incorrectly Configured Universal Links: If your Flutter app doesn’t have correctly configured universal links, the OS won’t be able to route the deep link URL to your app.
• App Not Installed or Not Launched: If the app is not installed or not launched, the OS won’t be able to route the deep link URL to your app.
• Browser Settings: If the browser settings are configured to open URLs in the browser instead of the app, then the deep link URL will be opened in the browser.

Solving the Problem: Step-by-Step Guide

Now that we’ve identified the reasons why your Flutter app is opening a deep link URL in the browser, let’s go through a step-by-step guide to solve the problem:

Step 1: Add Intent Filters to Your AndroidManifest.xml

In your Flutter project, navigate to the android/app/src/main directory and open the AndroidManifest.xml file. Add the following intent filter to the tag:

<intent-filter>
  <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
  <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
  <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
  <data android:scheme="https" android:host="example.com" android:pathPrefix="/path/to/resource" />
</intent-filter>

Replace https with the scheme you want to use (e.g. http), example.com with your app’s domain, and /path/to/resource with the path to the specific resource within your app.

Step 2: Configure Universal Links

In your Flutter project, navigate to the ios/Runner directory and open the Info.plist file. Add the following code to the <dict> tag:

<key>CFBundleURLTypes</key>
<array>
  <dict>
    <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
    <array>
      <string>https</string>
    </array>
    <key>CFBundleURLName</key>
    <string>example.com</string>
  </dict>
</array>

Replace https with the scheme you want to use (e.g. http) and example.com with your app’s domain.

Step 3: Handle Deep Links in Your Flutter App

In your Flutter app, you need to handle the deep link URL and route the user to the specific page or section within the app. You can use the uni_links package to handle deep links. Add the following code to your main.dart file:

import 'package:uni_links/uni_links.dart';

Future<void> _handleDeepLink() async {
  try {
    final link = await getLink();
    final url = Uri.parse(link);
    if (url.path == '/path/to/resource') {
      // Route the user to the specific page or section within the app
      Navigator.pushNamed(context, '/specific-page');
    }
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error: $e');
  }
}

Replace /path/to/resource with the path to the specific resource within your app, and /specific-page with the route to the specific page or section within your app.

Step 4: Test Your Deep Links

Test your deep links by clicking on a deep link URL in an email, SMS, or chat app. If everything is configured correctly, the OS should route the deep link URL to your app, and your app should handle the deep link and route the user to the specific page or section within the app.

Conclusion

In conclusion, opening a deep link URL in the browser instead of automatically opening the route within the app is a common issue that many developers face. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to solve this problem and provide a seamless experience for your users. Remember to add intent filters to your AndroidManifest.xml file, configure universal links in your Info.plist file, handle deep links in your Flutter app, and test your deep links to ensure everything is working correctly.

Reason	Solution
Mising Intent Filters	Add intent filters to AndroidManifest.xml file
Incorrectly Configured Universal Links	Configure universal links in Info.plist file
App Not Installed or Not Launched	Ensure app is installed and launched
Browser Settings	Configure browser settings to open URLs in app

By following these steps, you’ll be able to provide a seamless experience for your users and ensure that your Flutter app opens deep link URLs correctly. Happy coding!

Frequently Asked Question

Are you stuck in the Flutter app universe, wondering why your app is opening deep link URLs in the browser instead of automatically routing you to the correct app screen?