A better way to share

Open in app with our free deep link generator.

Create a clean open in app link for almost any app. Your link opens in the app where people are already logged in.

Free forever. No Login Required.

How it works

One link. Less friction.

No login required. Just a useful link that opens YouTube, Instagram and more in the app.

Paste a link

Any normal HTTP or HTTPS URL works.

Get a short link

Receive a permanent, shareable open in app link.

Share anywhere

Put it in an Instagram or YouTube bio to open your links in the app.

Supported destinations

Built for the apps you share.

Every link keeps a web fallback. Native app behaviour is controlled by the device and the app — each guide says exactly what to expect.

Free forever

Useful, but free.

toThe.App stores the destination so your link keeps working. There is no login — paste a link and get an open in app link back.

No login

Easy to use

No ads

Free to use

Open in app guide

How to open a link in an app instead of a browser

An open in app link sends people to a service's mobile app when that app is installed, and to the website when it is not. toThe.App builds one from any ordinary URL: paste, generate, share.

What actually happens when someone taps the link

The link is a normal HTTPS URL, so it works everywhere. What differs is where each platform sends it:

Android opens the destination in the app when it is installed. If it is not, the browser takes over — there is no error screen and nothing to install first.
iPhone offers the app when it can handle the destination, and continues in Safari when it cannot. Which content opens directly varies by app.
Desktop always continues to the website, which is the correct behaviour there.

Each per-app guide sets out exactly which URLs open which screen, and where the link falls back.

The one thing no link tool can do

A website cannot force a phone to open an app. The operating system makes that decision based on what is installed and how the app registered its links. Any tool promising a guaranteed app open is overstating what the platforms allow. What a good link does is offer the app route first and never strand anyone when it is unavailable.

The most common reason an app does not open is worth calling out: tapping a link inside another app's in-app browser. Instagram, TikTok and Facebook render links in their own embedded browser, which does not hand off to other apps. Opening the same link from your phone's real browser normally works.

Per-app guides

Behaviour differs per app — which URL shapes are covered, what opens on iOS versus Android, and where it falls back. Each guide documents it:

Questions

How do I make a link open in an app?

Paste the full HTTP or HTTPS URL into the generator, select Make short link, and share the result. When the matching app is installed, the recipient can open the destination there. A browser fallback is always available.

Can a link open the app instead of the browser?

Usually, yes — but the device decides. toThe.App offers the app action before the browser fallback; whether the app actually opens depends on the operating system, the app's link settings, and whether the app is installed. No website can force a phone to launch a native app.

Why did my link open the browser instead of the app?

The three common causes are: the app is not installed; the specific URL type is not one the app registers a handler for; or the link was tapped inside another app's in-app browser, such as Instagram's or TikTok's, which will not hand off to a native app. Opening the same link from your phone's browser or messages usually works.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no signup, no login, and no dashboard. Paste a link, get a link.

Do the links expire?

No. toThe.App stores the destination, so a link keeps working after it is created. Links used for abuse, phishing, malware or fraud may be disabled.