Android Deep Linking and App Navigation

6 posts · Jun 2011 – Jun 2022

What this trail covers

This feature thread tracks Google's efforts to enhance deep linking capabilities for Android applications, enabling seamless navigation and improved user experiences. Early efforts focused on establishing foundational mechanisms for app linking and intent handling. Subsequent developments have introduced more sophisticated tools and best practices for developers to supercharge deep linking, allowing for direct access to specific content within apps from external sources like web. This post details the ability to push dynamic shortcuts to Assistant, personalizing user journeys by proactively surfacing relevant app features.

All Google trails

Jun 2022General Availability of App Actions using the Android Shortcuts framework- Google Developers BlogThis post announces the general availability of App Actions, which leverage the Android Shortcuts framework. It details how developers can use these tools to expose their app's capabilities to the Android system, enabling users to trigger specific actions through voice commands or app launchers. The post highlights the benefits of App Actions for user engagement and discoverability, and provides guidance on implementing them, including the use of intent fulfillment and schema mapping.
Dec 2015How Twitter used Doze in Android 6.0 Marshmallow to Improve Notification Performance- Google Developers BlogThis post details how Twitter utilized Android 6.0 Marshmallow's Doze feature to improve notification performance. It explains that Doze restricts background activity, including network access, during device idle periods. Twitter's implementation involved using `JobScheduler` to schedule wake-up events for notifications, ensuring they were delivered even when Doze was active. This approach helped mitigate the impact of Doze on timely notification delivery, a critical aspect of user engagement for apps like Twitter.
May 2015App deep linking with goo.gl- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the use of goo.gl URL shortener in conjunction with Android deep linking. It explains how to create custom URLs that direct users to specific content within an app, thereby improving user engagement and app discoverability. The post details how to set up custom URL schemes and use goo.gl to shorten these deep links.
May 2015Surfacing content from iOS apps in Google Search - Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the ability to surface content from iOS apps directly in Google Search results. This expands the concept of deep linking beyond just Android to include iOS, allowing users to discover and access app-specific content from a broader range of sources and further enhancing the discoverability of app content.
Mar 2015Open Google Maps from your iOS app- Google Developers BlogThis post details how to integrate Google Maps deep linking into an iOS application, allowing users to launch the Google Maps app directly from an iOS app to display specific locations, directions, or search results. It outlines the use of URL schemes to achieve this functionality.
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Dec 2014Four Steps to Supercharge Deep Linking for Android Apps- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the concept of 'supercharging' deep linking for Android apps by leveraging App Actions and Android Shortcuts. It details how developers can expose their app's functionality to Google Assistant, allowing users to perform in-app tasks via voice commands or shortcuts. The post highlights the ability to push dynamic shortcuts to Assistant, which proactively surfaces relevant app features to users, thereby personalizing their journeys.
Jun 2011Add Gesture Search to your Android apps- Google Developers BlogIntroduced Gesture Search as a new input method for Android applications, allowing users to draw gestures on the screen to launch apps or perform actions. This enhances app navigation and user interaction by providing an alternative to traditional input methods.