How App Clips work
An App Clip is a small, focused part of your iOS app. You build it in the same Xcode project as the full app and ship it with the same App Store submission. When someone triggers it, iOS shows an App Clip card with a short description and an "Open" button. One tap, and the clip runs in seconds, without a visit to the App Store and without an install.
Inside the clip, users can sign in with Apple and pay with Apple Pay, so a whole transaction can happen in under a minute. When they're done, the clip can suggest installing the full app, and data the user created can move over to it.
How people open an App Clip
| Invocation | Typical place |
|---|---|
| App Clip Code (Apple's own visual code, optionally with NFC) | Parking meters, bike racks, shop counters |
| QR code or NFC tag | Restaurant tables, posters, packaging |
| Link in Safari or Messages | Shared links, websites with a Smart App Banner |
| Place card in Apple Maps | Restaurants, shops, venues |
| Siri suggestions and links in other apps | Based on location and context |
You set up which links open which part of the clip as App Clip experiences in App Store Connect, each with its own card title, subtitle and image.
Limits to plan for
- Size: App Clips must stay very small so they launch instantly. Apple sets a strict size limit; plan for a lean build with only the code and assets that one task needs.
- Scope: one task, done fast. A clip that tries to be the whole app defeats its purpose.
- Lifetime: iOS removes App Clips that haven't been used for a while, together with their data. Anything worth keeping should move to the full app or a user account.
- Notifications: a clip can ask for short-lived notification permission, for example to say an order is ready, but it isn't meant for long-term engagement.
Good use cases
- Paying for parking, a scooter or an EV charger.
- Ordering and paying at a café or restaurant table.
- Checking in to a hotel, gym or event.
- Trying a key feature of an app before committing to the full install, for example a photo filter or a single game level.
Why marketers care
App Clips remove the install step for a first experience, then offer the full app at the moment the user has just seen its value. That makes them a source of high-intent organic installs. They share URLs with deep linking: the same link can open the App Clip for new users and the full app for people who already have it.
Measure them like a funnel: clip launches, completed tasks, and installs of the full app that started from the clip. And read the reviews of the full app after launch: users who came through a clip often mention it.
App Clips on Android
Android has no widely used equivalent today. Google Play Instant offered instant, install-free experiences, but adoption stayed low, and most teams on Android rely on fast web pages and deep links instead.
Example
A parking app puts App Clip Codes on parking meters. Drivers scan, pay with Apple Pay and leave within 20 seconds, without installing anything. After the third payment, the clip suggests the full app to save the car and payment details, and a large share of regular parkers install it.