Intent Filter with android:autoVerify="true" - never verified at installation, default app links don't work

Question

I'm using branch.io SDK in my Android app and want to make my app a default handler for branch links on Android 6 as described here(Android guide) and here(Branch.io guide)

This is my activity's declaration in AndroidManifest.xml:

    <activity android:name="com.mypackage.MyActivity"
              android:launchMode="singleTask">
        <intent-filter tools:node="merge" android:autoVerify="true">
            <data android:scheme="@string/url_scheme" android:host="open"/>
            <data android:scheme="https"
                  android:host="@string/branch_io_host"
                  android:pathPrefix="@string/branch_io_path_prefix"/>
            <data android:scheme="http"
                  android:host="@string/branch_io_host"
                  android:pathPrefix="@string/branch_io_path_prefix"/>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW"/>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE"/>
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

However when I install a build on my device, I still keep seeing the chooser dialog when I click on a link with proper host and path. After readin through this extensive guide on app linking, I believe this is happening because my device never verifies my app's intent filter. E.g. when I install a Twitter app from the play store, I see these messages in LogCat:

03-24 15:04:27.231: D/IntentFilterVerificationReceiver(16965): Received ACTION_INTENT_FILTER_NEEDS_VERIFICATION.
03-24 15:04:27.248: I/IntentFilterIntentService(16965): Verifying IntentFilter. verificationId:2 scheme:"https" hosts:"twitter.com www.twitter.com ads.twitter.com" package:"com.twitter.android".
03-24 15:04:30.134: I/IntentFilterIntentService(16965): Verification 2 complete. Success:true. Failed hosts:.

But I don't see messages like this when I install my app. I tried both release and debug builds, tried uploading it to Alpha testing in the play store and installing from there, same result. Why does Android not verify my Intent filter?

Mohamedmohammad

Have you hosted json flle in your server @ proper path? In branch.io you have enabled applinks checkbox? – Flori

@HarshaVardhan "Yes" to both questions. – Mohamedmohammad

You should give us more details. What are the string resources, what values you use in the json file, where it is stored, etc. – Impletion

It will take some time to autoverify, what i mean is once you install the app and click on deep link it will not take you to app rather it will take to browser, but if you wait for few min and click on deep link it will launch in you app so i guess there is delay in autoverify – Shanly

Answer 1

Fixed this by moving this data tag into a separate intent filter:

<data android:scheme="@string/url_scheme" android:host="open"/>

This is what AndroidManifest looks like now:

<activity android:name="com.mypackage.MyActivity"
          android:launchMode="singleTask">
    <intent-filter tools:node="merge" android:autoVerify="true">
        <data android:scheme="https"
              android:host="@string/branch_io_host"
              android:pathPrefix="@string/branch_io_path_prefix"/>
        <data android:scheme="http"
              android:host="@string/branch_io_host"
              android:pathPrefix="@string/branch_io_path_prefix"/>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW"/>
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE"/>
    </intent-filter>
    <intent-filter>
        <data android:scheme="@string/url_scheme" android:host="open"/>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW"/>
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE"/>
    </intent-filter>
</activity>

Messages from IntentFilter now show up in the log as intended.

Mohamedmohammad

Hey, trap in the same issue with release build, will you provide the details about "url_scheme" which you define in a separate intent-filter? – Laudatory

What is url_scheme? Http or Https? – Hynes

Answer 2

For Deeplink to work without user prompt

Suppose your app manifest declares multiple hosts like myhost1.com, myhost2.com & myhost3.com,

          <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="myhost1.com"
                    android:pathPrefix="/start" />
            </intent-filter>
            <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="myhost2.com"
                android:pathPrefix="/start" />
        </intent-filter>
        <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="myhost3.com"
                android:pathPrefix="/start" />
        </intent-filter>

and deploys assetlinks.json for each one

https://myhost1.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json
https://myhost2.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json
https://myhost3.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json

While Installing the app from ADB or Google Play store keep checking your Logcat for IntentFilterIntentOp tag as follows

I/IntentFilterIntentOp: Verifying IntentFilter. verificationId:9 scheme:"https" hosts:"myhost1.com myhost2.com myhost3.com" package:"com.mydeeplink.app". [CONTEXT service_id=244 ]

On installation, the manifest declaration is verified if ANYONE host fails your DIRECT opening of the deep link will not work. Failure means the user will be prompted to choose either your app or browser.

NOTE NOTE NOTE: If you declare any test environment in the manifest which will be removed in the future. It will cause IntentFilterIntentOp FAILURE for your apps. It will break the direct opening of the deep link.

For the test environments, which will be removed later do not use android:autoVerify="true". Otherwise your production app deep link direct opening might be broken for the new installations.

Babushka

What if I dont own the website? I have a fake url like: "https:// www.exampleee.com/?token=1239&tokenId=1234" – Hynes

@Hynes for security reasons, it is no longer possible to intercept http or https unless it is directed to a website you own. This change allows an app to be sure that it is the only app that can respond to web links for a domain that it owns. Instead, make a custom Deep Link: <data android:scheme="mycustomscheme" />. Then generate a link mycustomscheme://whatever. – Zach

Answer 3

For anyone who might be as careless as I am, according to https://developer.android.com/training/app-links:

Android App Links on Android 6.0 (API level 23) and higher allow an app to designate itself as the default handler of a given type of link.

I have happened to test it on an Android 5.1 device randomly and below Android 6, intent filter will work but android:autoVerify="true" won't. You will NOT see IntentFilterIntentSvc logs in adb logcat, meaning that the url verification won't take place. In that case, Android will open the default app selection panel.

Clavate