React Native Deep Linking: The Complete Guide (iOS & Android, 2026)

Deep linking in React Native has three layers: the OS-level link registration (schemes + Universal/App Links), the in-app routing (React Navigation), and — if you run campaigns — deferred deep linking for new installs. Here's how to wire all three, on both platforms, in 2026.

1. Register your links with the OS

iOS — Universal Links: add the Associated Domains capability in Xcode (applinks:go.yourapp.com) and host an apple-app-site-association file on that domain. Keep a custom scheme (yourapp://) as a secondary path.

Android — App Links: add an autoVerify intent filter to your launch Activity and host an assetlinks.json with your package name and signing SHA-256.

<intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
  <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
  <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
  <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
  <data android:scheme="https" android:host="go.yourapp.com" />
</intent-filter>

2. Handle links in JavaScript

React Native's Linking API gives you both the cold-start URL and live events:

import { Linking } from 'react-native';

// App opened from a link (cold start)
const initialUrl = await Linking.getInitialURL();

// App already open
const sub = Linking.addEventListener('url', ({ url }) => route(url));

3. Let React Navigation route the path

Give the navigator a linking config so paths map to screens automatically:

const linking = {
  prefixes: ['https://go.yourapp.com', 'yourapp://'],
  config: { screens: { Show: 'show/tv/:id', Profile: 'u/:handle' } },
};
<NavigationContainer linking={linking}>…</NavigationContainer>

Now https://go.yourapp.com/show/tv/42 opens the Show screen with id=42.

4. Test it

• Simulators: npx uri-scheme open "https://go.yourapp.com/show/tv/42" --ios (and --android).
• Android device: adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "https://go.yourapp.com/show/tv/42".
• Verify App Links with Google's Statement List Tester; reinstall so Android re-runs verification.

5. Deferred deep linking (new installs) — without a heavy SDK

For users who tap a link before installing, call a resolve endpoint once on first launch to recover where they were headed. With lynkily that's a single REST request — no MMP SDK to embed:

const r = await fetch(
  'https://lynkily.com/api/v1/attribution/init',
  { method: 'POST', headers: {'Content-Type':'application/json'},
    body: JSON.stringify({ app: 'yourapp', platform: 'ios' }) }
);
const { deep_link } = await r.json();   // { path: 'show/tv/42' }
if (deep_link) navigate(deep_link.path);

Skip the association-file hassle

lynkily Deep Links hosts your AASA and assetlinks.json for you, builds the app → store → web fallback into every link, and exposes the resolve + events API you called above — so the RN side stays this small. Also see our Expo deep-linking guide. Background: Universal Links vs App Links and deferred deep linking.

Host your RN app's deep links free →