How to get YouTube Links to Open the App Directly
To create links that open the YouTube app directly on a phone, you can use the YouTube app's custom URL scheme.
This approach helps in providing a smoother user experience for mobile users by taking them straight to the YouTube app instead of opening the video in a web browser.
How to Create a YouTube App Deep-Link
Grab a YouTube URL.
In our example, we'll use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQRemove the
https://www.from the beginning of the URLNotice the extra period removed at the end.
Add
youtube://at the beginning of the URL.The final result should look like this:
youtube://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQTest your links!
Here's the YouTube link with the deep link enabled: youtube://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if the app isn't installed?
if the app isn't detected, it will fallback to the browser.
Always test your links on multiple devices and configurations to ensure they work as expected. Behavior can vary based on the device, operating system version, and app version.
What are 'Intent URLs'?
Android also supports using Intent URLs for opening apps directly.
This method can provide more control over the behavior when the app isn't installed, such as taking the user to the Play Store.