Expo Router Deep Linking for Consumer Apps

Key facts, with sources

• 71% of State of React Native 2024 respondents reported using Expo's EAS Build, ahead of manual builds with Xcode (59.7%) and Android Studio (54.5%). (InfoQ)
• Expo SDK 52, released November 12, 2024, enabled the New Architecture by default for all new projects, and Expo Go for SDK 52 and higher supports only the New Architecture. (Expo Changelog)
• The official React Native documentation now recommends starting new apps with a framework, naming Expo, rather than initializing a bare project. (React Native documentation)
• EAS build caching can speed up subsequent Android and iOS builds by up to 30% and is available to all users at no additional cost as of the SDK 57 cycle. (Expo Changelog)
• Doctolib runs Expo tooling without EAS to scale developer experience on a healthcare app serving 90 million users, showing Expo's open-source tools work independently of its paid cloud services. (Doctolib Engineering (Medium))

Deep links are free with file-based routing

Because Expo Router derives navigation from the file system, every file under app/ already has a URL. app/product/[id].tsx answers product/42; app/(tabs)/profile.tsx answers /profile. The only setup for custom-scheme links is declaring the scheme, after which myapp://product/42 opens the right screen from a cold start, background, or foreground — Expo Router handles all three launch states without listener code.

{
  "expo": {
    "name": "MyApp",
    "scheme": "myapp",
    "ios": {
      "associatedDomains": ["applinks:example.com"]
    },
    "android": {
      "intentFilters": [
        {
          "action": "VIEW",
          "autoVerify": true,
          "data": [{ "scheme": "https", "host": "example.com", "pathPrefix": "/" }],
          "category": ["BROWSABLE", "DEFAULT"]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Custom scheme vs universal links: you need both

Custom-scheme links (myapp://) are reliable for QR codes, OAuth redirects, and links you fully control — but they do nothing if the app isn't installed, and messaging apps often refuse to make them tappable. Universal Links (iOS) and App Links (Android) use your real https URLs: if the app is installed the link opens it; if not, the same URL opens your website. For anything user-facing — emails, push campaigns, shared content — https links are the only serious option, and the website fallback doubles as your install funnel.

iOS: the apple-app-site-association file

iOS verifies domain ownership by fetching a JSON file from your site. Serve it at https://example.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association — no file extension, served as application/json, no redirects. The appID is your Team ID plus bundle identifier. iOS caches this file on install, so changes take effect on reinstall, not immediately.

{
  "applinks": {
    "details": [
      {
        "appIDs": ["TEAMID1234.com.example.myapp"],
        "components": [
          { "/": "/product/*" },
          { "/": "/invite/*" }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Android: assetlinks.json and autoVerify

Android's equivalent lives at https://example.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json and pins your app's signing certificate fingerprint. Use the SHA-256 of the key that actually signs your store builds — for EAS-managed credentials, eas credentials prints it. With autoVerify: true in the intent filter (set in app.json above), Android verifies the domain at install time and opens your links without the app-chooser dialog.

[
  {
    "relation": ["delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls"],
    "target": {
      "namespace": "android_app",
      "package_name": "com.example.myapp",
      "sha256_cert_fingerprints": [
        "AA:BB:CC:...:99"
      ]
    }
  }
]

Reading params and gating links behind auth

Inside the destination screen, useLocalSearchParams reads the dynamic segment. The pattern that separates polished apps: when a deep link points at protected content and the user isn't logged in, save the intended path, route through login, then replay it — the user ends up where the link promised, not dumped on a home screen.

import { Redirect, useLocalSearchParams, usePathname } from "expo-router";

export default function ProductScreen() {
  const { id } = useLocalSearchParams<{ id: string }>();
  const pathname = usePathname();
  const { user } = useAuth();

  if (!user) {
    // Send the intended destination along; login replays it on success
    return <Redirect href={{ pathname: "/login", params: { next: pathname } }} />;
  }

  return <ProductDetails productId={id} />;
}

// In the login screen, after a successful sign-in:
// const { next } = useLocalSearchParams<{ next?: string }>();
// router.replace(next ?? "/");

Testing deep links before shipping

Custom schemes can be exercised locally with npx uri-scheme open "myapp://product/42" --ios (or --android), or with adb shell am start commands on Android. Two caveats catch nearly everyone: Expo Go can't test your custom scheme or associated domains — it has its own scheme — so verification requires a development build via EAS; and both platforms cache the domain-verification files, so test Universal/App Links with a fresh install after the .well-known files are live in production.

When to hire senior help

Senior help pays off when deciding between managed and prebuild workflows, setting up EAS-based CI/CD and OTA update channels, or untangling a project that was ejected prematurely. An experienced Expo engineer can usually configure build, submit, and update pipelines in days, a task that costs first-time teams weeks of trial and error. If your stack includes React Native + Python + AI, a senior engineer who owns the full product beats coordinating multiple juniors.

Bottom line

Dhairya Senjaliya ships Mobile — Expo Development projects worldwide — book a scoping call to discuss your specific situation.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• ✕Ejecting to the bare workflow at the first native requirement instead of using config plugins and development builds, permanently giving up managed upgrades
• ✕Testing only in Expo Go and misconfiguring runtime versions for expo-updates, so an OTA update ships JavaScript that crashes against mismatched native binaries
• ✕Burning EAS build minutes on every commit in CI without caching or local builds, turning a convenience service into a surprise line item
• ✕Skipping several SDK upgrades in a row, then being forced into a large breaking migration when app store target API level deadlines arrive

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• InfoQ
• Expo Changelog
• React Native documentation
• Expo Changelog
• Doctolib Engineering (Medium)