Custom URL schemes

Question

How does one handle custom URL schemes to allow one app to be directed to another? e.g. instagram://user?username=someusername which directs a user straight to the users profile via username. I need to create something similar.

I've checked out application(_ application: UIApplication, open url: URL, sourceApplication: String?, annotation: Any) -> Bool and application(_ application: UIApplication, handleOpen url: URL) -> Bool but they seem to have a red line through when attempting to implement so I assume they are deprecated. Also, they don't seem to get called when I open my app via url from a browser.

When methods are deprecated the warning usually tells you which method you should use instead. — EmilioPelaez, Nov 14 '17 at 16:54
Wherever you saw that it's deprecated, that's where it probably says what to use now. Or you could google the docs for UIApplication. — EmilioPelaez, Nov 14 '17 at 17:05

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 14 '17 at 17:21

Using this url as an example: appName://?id=12345

You can do something in your app once launched using the url like so

func application(_ app: UIApplication, open url: URL, options: [UIApplicationOpenURLOptionsKey : Any] = [:]) -> Bool {
    let urlComponents = URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: false)
    if let items = urlComponents?.queryItems as [NSURLQueryItem]?,
        (url.scheme == "appName") {
        if items.first?.name == "id",
            let id = items.first?.value {
            print(id) // prints 12345 to console
            // do something with the id, possibly present/push a controller for the user
        }
    }
    return false
}

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 01 '20 at 16:34

From iOS 13 and above below function will no longer work.

func application(_ app: UIApplication, open url: URL, options: [UIApplication.OpenURLOptionsKey : Any] = [:]) -> Bool

Updated function from iOS 13 and above

 func scene(_ scene: UIScene, openURLContexts URLContexts: Set<UIOpenURLContext>)

Use this function in SceneDelegate class.
Credit: https://www.swiftdevcenter.com/custom-url-scheme-deep-link-ios-13-and-later-swift-5/
For more detail follow this tutorial

Custom URL schemes

2 Answers2

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