What is deferred deep linking?

Deferred deep linking sends a user who doesn't have the app through the App Store or Google Play and then opens the specific screen they wanted, such as a product or an invite, on first launch.

How does deferred deep linking work on iOS?

The App Store passes no referrer to the app, and Apple restricts fingerprinting, so providers use privacy-preserving or user-consented matching. Accuracy varies; account sign-in or invite codes are a reliable fallback.

How does deferred deep linking work on Android?

The Google Play Install Referrer API passes the referrer from the store link to the app after install, so the app can read where the user came from and open the right screen.

What is the difference between deep linking and deferred deep linking?

A deep link opens a specific screen in an app that is already installed. A deferred deep link does the same for a new user, after they install the app.

Deferred Deep Linking: How It Works on iOS and Android

Deferred deep linking explained

A regular deep link only works if the app is already installed. A deferred deep link remembers where the user wanted to go, sends them through the App Store or Google Play to install the app, and opens that exact screen on first launch. The "deferred" part is the wait: the deep link is held back until after the install.

Without it, a new user who tapped "open this playlist" installs the app and lands on a generic welcome screen, with no idea where the playlist went. Many give up right there.

How deferred deep linking works

A user without the app taps a link: an ad, a referral invite, a shared product.
The link service records the target (for example /playlist/123) and sends the user to the right store.
The user installs and opens the app.
On first launch, the app asks the link service where this user came from.
The app opens the intended screen, often with context: "Saved from Anna" or "Your 20% discount is applied".

The hard part is step 4: matching an install to an earlier click when the store sits in between.

On Android vs. iOS

Android: the Google Play Install Referrer API passes a referrer string from the store link to the app after install. This makes deferred deep linking on Android reliable.
iOS: the App Store doesn't pass any referrer to the app, and Apple's privacy rules restrict matching techniques such as device fingerprinting. Providers use privacy-preserving or user-consented methods, and accuracy varies. A common reliable fallback: let the user sign in or paste an invite code, and restore the context from their account.

Use cases

Referral programs: the invited friend lands on a welcome screen that names the person who invited them, with the reward applied.
Paid campaigns: an ad for running shoes opens the running-shoes category, not the home screen.
Shared content: a shared recipe, playlist, listing or document opens after install.
Offline-to-online: a QR code on a poster or package opens the matching content after install.

Why it matters

New users who land on the content they asked for are more likely to finish onboarding and stay, which lifts conversion and day-1 retention. It also improves the return on paid user acquisition, because the ad's promise is kept after the install. Most providers combine deferred deep linking with mobile attribution, since both depend on matching installs to clicks.

Tools

Branch, AppsFlyer (OneLink) and Adjust offer deferred deep linking as part of their link and attribution products. Firebase Dynamic Links used to be a common free option but was shut down in 2025. You can build the Android part yourself with the Install Referrer API; on iOS a provider or an account-based approach is usually more practical.

Pitfalls

Testing only with the app installed. Always test the full path on a clean device.
Losing the context during onboarding. Store the target and open it after sign-up, not before.
Promising what the app can't show yet, for example content that requires an account. Explain the next step instead of showing an empty screen.

Example

A friend shares a playlist. The recipient installs the music app; on first launch it opens straight to that playlist with a "Saved from Anna" banner, instead of a generic welcome screen.