Universal Link
A universal link is an iOS mechanism where a normal https link, backed by an association file, opens a native app if it's installed, or falls back to a regular web page if it isn't. It's built specifically for apps distributed through the App Store, and it behaves differently when the other end of the funnel is a PWA instead of a native app.
How a universal link works
A site hosts a special association file proving an app is authorized to open specific links, and iOS checks it on every tap. If the app is installed, the system opens it directly to the right screen (a deep link); if not, the user just stays on the site in Safari.
Universal links and PWA arbitrage
Since a PWA isn't listed in the App Store, universal links in the usual sense don't apply to it — instead of a deep link into an app, an iOS user typically adds the PWA to their home screen through Safari, and later visits behave like a website opened in its own display mode. A buyer running traffic to both a native app and a PWA in parallel needs to keep these two mechanisms separate when setting up tracking and postbacks, since they work fundamentally differently.
FAQ
- Does a universal link work the same way for a PWA as for a native app?
- No — universal links are built for App Store apps, while a PWA on iOS gets installed through Safari's Add to Home Screen, with no deep linking in the usual sense. The navigation and tracking logic differs between the two.
- Is there an Android equivalent of a universal link?
- Yes, Android solves the same problem with App Links, which also open an app from a regular https link when it's installed. But just like on iOS, this mechanism doesn't apply to a PWA the same way it does to a native app.
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