What is deferred deep linking?

How it works

1. A user without the app taps a link (an ad, an invite, a shared product).
2. They're sent to the App Store or Google Play and install the app.
3. On first launch, the app asks the deep-linking provider (often the mobile attribution provider) where the user came from, and opens the intended screen.

On Android, the Google Play Install Referrer API passes the information reliably. On iOS, privacy rules limit matching, so providers use privacy-preserving methods with varying accuracy.

Why it matters

New users who land on the content they wanted are more likely to stay — improving onboarding conversion and day-1 retention. It's especially important for referral programs and paid user acquisition.

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. See also deep linking.