appsFlyer.onDeepLink() Not Triggering in Kill State on iOS with Latest Version

[Akilramki]

Summary:
After upgrading to React Native 0.79.0 and react-native-appsflyer@6.16.2, the appsFlyer.onDeepLink() listener stops consistently firing in iOS kill state. It works sometimes, but most of the time it doesn't. The same implementation worked reliably in react-native@0.71.11 and appsflyer@6.12.2.

✅ Previously Working Versions
React Native: 0.71.11
AppsFlyer SDK: react-native-appsflyer@^6.12.2
In the working setup, the OneLink consistently triggered appsFlyer.onDeepLink() in:
Foreground ✅
Background ✅
Kill State ✅

📄 Universal Link (AASA) Setup
Hosted at:
https://test.onelink.me/.well-known/apple-app-site-association (sample url)
MIME Type: application/pkcs7-mime (.p7m)
AASA file verified and working correctly

Objective-C Code That Worked
AppDelegate.mm

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)app openURL:(NSURL *)url options:(NSDictionary<UIApplicationOpenURLOptionsKey,id> *)options {
   if ([RCTLinkingManager application:app openURL:url options:options]) return YES;
   [[AppsFlyerAttribution shared] handleOpenUrl:url options:options];
   return YES;
}

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application continueUserActivity:(NSUserActivity *)userActivity restorationHandler:(void (^)(NSArray *))restorationHandler {
  [RCTLinkingManager application:application continueUserActivity:userActivity restorationHandler:restorationHandler];
  [[AppsFlyerAttribution shared] continueUserActivity:userActivity restorationHandler:restorationHandler];
  return YES;
}

App.js

useEffect(() => {
  appsFlyer.onDeepLink(res => {
    console.log('onDeepLink:', res);
  });

  appsFlyer.initSdk({
    devKey: 'XXX',
    appId: '123456789',
    isDebug: true,
    onInstallConversionDataListener: true,
    onDeepLinkListener: true,
    timeToWaitForATTUserAuthorization: 10, 
  }, 
  result => console.log('SDK init success', result),
  error => console.log('SDK init error', error));
}, []);

❌ Current Setup (RN 0.79.0 + SDK 6.16.2)

🔧Affected Versions
React Native: 0.79.0
AppsFlyer SDK: react-native-appsflyer@^6.16.2
iOS Version: Tested on iOS 17.x

🧪 Current Behavior (v6.16.2 + RN 0.79.0)
Foreground: appsFlyer.onDeepLink() ✅
Background: appsFlyer.onDeepLink() ✅
Kill State: appsFlyer.onDeepLink() ❌ (Inconsistent or not firing at all)

📄 Universal Link (AASA) Setup
✅ No changes were made to the AASA configuration between the working and non-working versions.
✅ Same setup used in working version (react-native@0.71.11, appsflyer@6.12.2)
Hosted at:
https://test.onelink.me/.well-known/apple-app-site-association (sample url)
MIME Type: application/pkcs7-mime (.p7m)
AASA file verified and working correctly

Swift AppDelegate Code

AppDelegate.swift

  func application(
    _ application: UIApplication,
    didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]? = nil
  ) -> Bool {
    AppsFlyerLib.shared().appsFlyerDevKey = "XXX"
    AppsFlyerLib.shared().appleAppID = "123456789"
    AppsFlyerLib.shared().delegate = self
    AppsFlyerLib.shared().isDebug = true
    AppsFlyerLib.shared().start()
    return true
  }

  // iOS 9+ - Open URI Scheme
 func application(_ app: UIApplication, open url: URL, options: [UIApplication.OpenURLOptionsKey : Any] = [:]) -> Bool {
    AppsFlyerLib.shared().handleOpen(url, options: options) // no return value
    let handledRCT = RCTLinkingManager.application(app, open: url, options: options)
    return handledRCT // return only the actual Bool
}


  // iOS 8 and below - Open URI Scheme
  func application(_ application: UIApplication, open url: URL, sourceApplication: String?, annotation: Any) -> Bool {
      AppsFlyerLib.shared().handleOpen(url, sourceApplication: sourceApplication, withAnnotation: annotation)
      return true
  }

  // Universal Links
func application(
  _ application: UIApplication,
  continue userActivity: NSUserActivity,
  restorationHandler: @escaping ([UIUserActivityRestoring]?) -> Void
) -> Bool {
    let handledRCT = RCTLinkingManager.application(
        application,
        continue: userActivity,
        restorationHandler: restorationHandler
    )

    AppsFlyerLib.shared().continue(userActivity, restorationHandler: nil)

    return handledRCT
}

React Native

App.js

useEffect(() => {
  appsFlyer.onDeepLink(res => {
    console.log('onDeepLink:', res);
  });

  appsFlyer.initSdk({
    devKey: 'XXX',
    appId: '123456789',
    isDebug: true,
    onInstallConversionDataListener: true,
    onDeepLinkListener: true,
    timeToWaitForATTUserAuthorization: 10, 
  }, 
  result => console.log('SDK init success', result),
  error => console.log('SDK init error', error));
}, []);

[harpreet-appinventiv]

Hi Team,

Is there any update on this issue?

We’ve observed that when an AppsFlyer Universal Link is clicked while the app is in the background, the appsFlyer.onDeepLink listener is triggered as expected.

However, when the app is launched from a cold (quit) state via the same Universal Link, the appsFlyer.onDeepLink listener does not get called.

[daniyalrathore14]

i also face same issue
class AppDelegate: RCTAppDelegate {
override func application(_ application: UIApplication, open url: URL, sourceApplication: String?, annotation: Any) -> Bool {
AppsFlyerLib.shared().handleOpen(url, sourceApplication: sourceApplication, withAnnotation: annotation)
return true
}

override func application(_ application: UIApplication, open url: URL, options: [UIApplication.OpenURLOptionsKey : Any] = [:]) -> Bool {
AppsFlyerLib.shared().handleOpen(url, options: options)
RCTLinkingManager.application(application, open: url, options: options)
return true
}

override func application(_ application: UIApplication, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, restorationHandler: @escaping ([UIUserActivityRestoring]?) -> Void) -> Bool {
AppsFlyerLib.shared().continue(userActivity, restorationHandler:nil)
RCTLinkingManager.application(application, continue: userActivity, restorationHandler: restorationHandler)
return true
}

......

[chizhkov422]

Hi, I have the same problem with cold start on ios, is there any solution?

[maheshKumarZazmic]

any success on this issue?

[Nayan-Infynno]

I faced same issues?? Any solution???

[vungo99]

any solution for this issue? please help

[Keshav-1973]

same issue with expo 53

[vungo99]

I believe the issue is a limitation from AppsFlyer. Please see the link below:
https://www.appsflyer.com/use-cases/customer-experience-deep-linking/universal-linking-challenges-ios-10-3/

I encountered this issue when copying and pasting the OneLink into a browser—it doesn't work. Try this instead: generate a QR code from the OneLink and scan it. It will open and trigger onDeeplinking. This issue only occurs on iOS.

And if you wanna fix this issue, please check fallback url ...

[Tuan2109]

I found an issue: on iOS, deeplinks/appsFlyer.onDeeplink() do not work when app is in Killed State, in the two cases below:

• Universal Links don’t load in when pasted into browsers
• Facebook does not possible to deep link from posts to the Facebook feed

Solution:
Create function to handle fallback uri from one link (instead of function callback inside appsFlyer.onDeeplink())

Step 1: Config the fallback link in AppsFlyer Dashboard

Step 2: Use Linking for get URL fallback
Code Example below

import { Linking } from 'react-native';

const getFallbackData = async (): Promise<UnifiedDeepLinkData | undefined> => {
     const url = await Linking.getInitialURL();
     if (!url || !url.startsWith('abc')) return;

     const url = new URL(urlString);
     const params: Record<string, string> = {};
     for (const [key, value] of url.searchParams.entries()) {
        params[key] = value;
      }

     return {
           url,
           params
     };
};

Step 3: Create new function handle fallback like callback in appsFlyer.onDeeplink(callback)

[vungo99]

I found an issue: on iOS, deeplinks/appsFlyer.onDeeplink() do not work when app is in Killed State, in the two cases below:

• Universal Links don’t load in when pasted into browsers
• Facebook does not possible to deep link from posts to the Facebook feed

Solution: Create function to handle fallback uri from one link (instead of function callback inside appsFlyer.onDeeplink())

Step 1: Config the fallback link in AppsFlyer Dashboard

Step 2: Use Linking for get URL fallback Code Example below

import { Linking } from 'react-native';

const getFallbackData = async (): Promise<UnifiedDeepLinkData | undefined> => {
const url = await Linking.getInitialURL();
if (!url || !url.startsWith('abc')) return;

const query = url.split('?')[1];
if (!query) return;

const params = Object.fromEntries(
query.split('&').map((pair) => pair.split('=').map(decodeURIComponent)),
);

return {
deepLinkStatus: 'FOUND',
status: 'success',
type: 'onDeepLinking',
data: params,
isDeferred: false,
};
};

Step 3: Create new function handle fallback like callback in appsFlyer.onDeeplink(callback)

kaka this work for me. tks a lot 👍

[maheshKumarZazmic]

@Tuan2109 what if I am using short url and doesn't have parameters attached to it and can only be fetched using deeplink function then how we can achieve it ? as it seems that parameters are not fetched from this way.
for (const [key, value] of url.searchParams.entries()) {
params[key] = value;
}
and using alternative way like this :

const params = Object.fromEntries(
query.split('&').map((pair) => pair.split('=').map(decodeURIComponent)),
);
will require parameters to be attached to the uri means long uri required.

[pazlavi]

Look at the difference between Objective-C and Swift code.
For Objective-C, you are using (as written in our documentation) AppsFlyerAttribution, while AppsFlyerLib is used in your Swift example.
The issue with AppsFlyerLib is that the deep link resolution is done before the bridge between JS and Native layers is established.
To handle such cases, you should use AppsFlyerAttribution, which waits for the bridge to be ready before performing the deep link resolution.
To work with AppsFlyerAttribution in Swift, you'll have to create a Bridging Header file.

For any future assistant, please open a support ticket.

[github-actions]

👋 Hi @Akilramki and Thank you for reaching out to us.
You can contact AppsFlyer support through the Customer Assistant Chatbot for assistance with troubleshooting issues or product guidance.
To do so, please follow this article.