science

Mobile deep linking

Mobile deep linking is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mobile deep linking rather than just read about it. In short: In the context of mobile apps, deep linking consists of using a uniform resource identifier (URI) that links to a specific location within a mobile app rather than simply launching the app. Deferred deep linking allows users to deep link to content even if the app is not already installed.

Key takeaways

Mobile deep linking belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mobile deep linking to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mobile deep linking from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In the context of mobile apps, deep linking consists of using a uniform resource identifier (URI) that links to a specific location within a mobile app rather than simply launching the app. Deferred deep linking allows users to deep link to content even if the app is not already installed. Depending on the mobile device platform, the URI required to trigger the app may be different.

Deep linking and mobile operating systems Unlike the Web, where the underlying technology of HTTP and URLs allows for deep linking by default, enabling deep linking on mobile apps requires these apps be configured to properly handle a uniform resource identifier (URI). Examples of URIs that launch a mobile app:

twitter:// is the iOS URI to launch Twitter's mobile app YouTube:// is the iOS URI to launch YouTube's mobile app The format of the URI used to trigger or deep link an app is often different depending on the mobile operating system. Android devices work through intents, BlackBerry 10 devices work through BB10's invocation framework, Firefox OS devices work through Web Activities, iOS devices work through the open(_:options:completionHandler:) application method, and Windows Phone 8 devices work through the UriMapper class.

fb://profile/33138223345 is an example of a mobile deep link URI. The URI contains all the information needed to launch directly into a particular location within an app, in this case the profile with id '33138223345', i.e., the Wikipedia page, within the Facebook app, instead of simply the info for launching the Facebook app fb://. eBay's apps demonstrate the use of different schemes by platform. eBay://launch?itm=360703170135 is the URI of a deep link into eBay's iOS app while eBay://item/view?id=360703170135 is the URI of a deep link into eBay's Android app.

Complexity of mobile deep linking and the need for a streamlined solution A benefit of mobile deep linking is the ability for marketers and app developers to bring users to a specific location within their app with a dedicated link. Just as deep links make the web more usable, mobile deep links do the same for mobile apps. Unlike deep links on the web, where the link format is standardized based on HTTP guidelines, mobile deep links do not follow a consistent format. This causes confusion in development because different sets of links are required to access the same app on a different mobile operating system.

Passing search data via deep linking Google allows app developers who have both iOS and Android apps to surface in-app content via mobile Google searches. Developers will need to submit their apps and deep linking apps on both iOS and Android to be indexed by Google. Alternatively, developers can use Google's short links to deep link mobile app users if the app is installed and direct others to the webpage. One example of a better user experience made possible because of the deep link and data passing through the install solution is one in which search information is passed into an app to bring the user to the exact information that drove them to the app. Compared to a common web link, this implementation may reduce the number of steps required. For example, to search for hotels in Boston, a user currently needs to:

Perform a Google search for a term See that a company has relevant content in its app Manually switch from the browser to the app (download the app first if required) Perform the search again in the app That can be shortened to:

Search on Google Select the in-app search result to view in-app (if app is installed)

Deferred deep linking Deferred deep linking is one aspect of mobile deep linking. It describes the principle of deep linking into an app that is not yet installed. In this case, deep linking will be "deferred" until the application is installed by the user. This implies that clicking (or otherwise invoking) the deep link causes:

An app store to open (Google Play/iOS or Windows App Store depending on the user's device) to enable the user to install the app Once the app is installed, the link is invoked with its original URL and parameters so that the newly installed app can handle the invocation. A common use case is to drive installs; linking to functionality in a not-yet-installed app provides the user with an incentive to install it. Deferred deep linking allows mobile developers and mobile marketers to deliver an automated user experience, and improves conversion rates and user retention. While there is currently no industry standard for deferred deep linking, various platform providers offer differing levels of support:

Apple iOS: No official support. Workarounds include using Pasteboard (Apple's clipboard) to hold the parameters of the deep link while the app installs. Then after the app is installed, read from the Pasteboard and handle the linking accordingly. Android support on the Google Play store: Google gives app developers the option of passing the original deep link through the Google Play App Store using the Intent: "The deep link should take users directly to the content, without any prompts, interstitial pages, or logins. Make sure that users can see the app content even if they never previously opened the application.” Android support on non-Google app stores: No support. This is the majority of Android app installations, since Google Play makes up less than 1/4 of the volume of Android apps downloaded. Installs driven by Facebook ads (iOS and Android): Developers can bring users to the content inside the installed app by using Facebook's Deep Linking for Mobile Install Ads technology: "When a person taps on a mobile app install ad on Facebook, the developer can choose to send them to a specific place in their app after it's downloaded, such as a product page rather than the homepage."

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mobile deep linking

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mobile deep linking claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mobile deep linking before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mobile deep linking ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mobile deep linking

In research: Mobile deep linking appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mobile deep linking in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mobile deep linking is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics URL, World Wide Web, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mobile deep linking outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mobile deep linking in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mobile deep linking means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mobile deep linking out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mobile deep linking in simple terms?

Why does Mobile deep linking matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mobile deep linking?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mobile deep linking.