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Change is a constant in the app landscape. And one particular change that might be keeping you awake at night is Google’s deprecation of Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL).
Google announced this move back in summer 2023, and plans to shut down the service on August 25th, 2025. Meanwhile, it says FDL shouldn’t be used for new projects.
It’s left many product managers, app developers, and retention teams scratching their heads as to how they’ll manage deep links and the user journeys they power going forward. But, even though the clock is ticking for anyone who has yet to migrate, there’s no need to panic. In this blog, we’ll look at what you need to do and how AppsFlyer can help.
Firebase Dynamic Links (FDLs) are Google’s solution for activating user journeys through smart URLs. They enable both deep linking and deferred deep linking, allowing users to be directed to specific content within an app, even if the app isn’t installed. Once installed, the user is seamlessly guided to the intended destination, whether it’s within the app, or to the relevant app store.
The FDL functionality enhances user journeys by ensuring a smooth transition from different platforms to the app, reducing friction and improving conversion rates, while offering personalized experiences tailored to user intent. However, there are some limitations when it gets into specifics; for example, managing links in bulk isn’t possible. Email integrations, QR code generations, and key web-to-app features such as Smart Banners and Smart Script also do not exist..
If you want to scale your app once Firebase Dynamic Links are gone, consider a robust, multi-platform linking solution that can offer seamless journeys and baked-in measurement with additional key capabilities such as those mentioned.
If you’ve been using FDL, now’s the time to think about migrating to an alternative.
Google says you have until August 25th, 2025 to complete your migration. But, given that’s the date when all your Firebase links will stop working, you’d be smart to take action well before then to avoid the dreaded 404s.
What’s more, we already touched on the limitations of Firebase. Wouldn’t you prefer a more comprehensive solution? If so, AppsFlyer has the answer.
At AppsFlyer, we recognize that customer experience (CX) and smooth user flows go hand in hand. Deep links create seamless, more personal experiences, enabling you to welcome customers into your app from any platform or device.
That’s important for your bottom line, because exceptional customer experiences drive growth and loyalty — boosting revenues and LTV.
Thousands of brands trust our engagement suite to drive conversions while preserving customer privacy. So, whether you currently use FDL or another solution, we’re confident that switching to AppsFlyer will enhance your CX strategy and maximize your ROX (return on experience).
AppsFlyer simplifies the complexities of user journeys across platforms, channels and use cases. We eliminate the need for multiple tools and internal development work, by enabling you to create, manage, and measure links for various channels in one unified platform.
Our simple experience navigator makes creating links a breeze, and we have advanced tooling such as bulk management, ESP integration and QR code generator— features not included in the FDL solution.
You can even create Smart Banners or Smart Scripts in our self-serve studio, with ready-made templates and advanced customization options to maximize web-to-app conversion, without the heavy lifting normally required from developers.
As the market leader for deep linking and measurement, we take privacy seriously and it’s worth repeating. In addition to staying compliant with all relevant global privacy regulations, we have the most robust security in place to keep your customer data safe with us.
Our support teams and step-by-step guides are here to make your migration as simple as possible. We’ll talk more about the specifics later on but ease of migration is definitely a key reason to choose AppsFlyer over other alternatives.
Our deep linking technology does the hard work, automatically sending users to their chosen in-app content — or using our deferred deep linking capabilities to visit the app store first.
Users benefit from a seamless journey into your app, whether it begins on web, email, QR code, text message, push notification, or social media. In addition, referral and content-sharing options let you harness the power of word of mouth and attribute accordingly.
AppsFlyer’s solution offers all the functionality of FDL, and much more beyond that. Let’s take a closer look at the key features that make it stand out from other possible FDL alternatives.
Our deep linking capabilities seamlessly transition users across platforms, with comprehensive measurement to help you pinpoint the best-performing strategies.
Easily create, customize, and deploy Smart Banners and Smart Scripts with little or no dev resources to drive UA and engagement. These dynamically generate links behind compelling copy and visuals, guiding high-intent visitors smoothly from your website into your app. How strong is this technology? Well, FOX boosted installs 15-35% and AirAsia saw a 19% increase in flight booking rates over organic benchmarks – it’s very strong.
Turn nearly any physical or digital asset into a channel for UA and engagement. QR codes are everywhere — use them to connect users to your app from billboards, CTV ads, packaging, and more. Our CX and deep linking suite makes it easy to create user touch points wherever your customers are, reaching engaged audiences and driving up conversions.
Maximize conversions with a seamless journey from inbox to app. We’re fully integrated with ESPs (email service providers), ensuring links never break (even when wrapped by the ESP) and giving you an accurate and holistic view of your email campaigns’ performance.
Push notifications can also be utilized, driving users directly to relevant in-app content with a single tap.
SMS and WhatsApp are high-engagement channels that work perfectly for short, time-sensitive messages. Make the most of high response rates with our OneLink API, which generates short links programmatically and at scale to bring users right into your app.
Connect with a highly engaged audience and convert them to loyal app users, by crafting frictionless journeys from their favorite social channels. Our social-to-app route lets you engage the right users and connect them smoothly and contextually to the right in-app content.
Read how Turkish eCommerce brand Hepsiburada successfully scaled up their influencer marketing with CX and deep linking suite, following a seamless migration to AppsFlyer.
Word of mouth is a powerful tool — and with AppsFlyer’s CX and deep linking suite, it’s simple to share invites and incentivized referrals at scale, fostering loyalty and growing your user base.
Our Branded Domains feature lets you create vanity links that customers recognize and trust, inspiring them to move through your funnel with confidence. They’re a surefire way to boost click-throughs and conversions.
In the post-ATT world, measuring the impact of your campaigns is increasingly challenging. We all know tight regulations like GDPR and CCPA have made third-party data less and less available, and it’s going to continue with new rules like the DMA and DSA. Plus, with data increasingly siloed across platforms, how do you get the accurate, unified view you need to make informed decisions?
AppsFlyer’s dashboard is how.
The best part is that measurement doesn’t stop at installs — you can also measure and analyze in-app events for a complete picture of user behavior. Nigerian fintech brand Yellow Card used this to their advantage, learning which channels brought high-quality users and improving the in-app experience to boost revenue.
The combination of deep linking and advanced analytics capabilities lets you get granular with your creative testing. Once you know what’s working and what’s not, you can refine your strategies and budget with confidence.
Gaming studio Brainium used AppsFlyer’s CX and deep linking suite to do just that: by identifying winning combinations of creatives and cross-promotions, they were able to optimize campaigns for increased growth, engagement, and retention.
Our agile, customer-first approach keeps you ahead of the competition. Our 400+ engineers can release significantly more updates than other alternative solutions. And with the infrastructure to support 89K active mobile app customers, we have 99.9% uptime.
We’re there when you need us, and we’re completely independent and unbiased. So you can rely on our data to tell it like it is — no hidden agenda.
Ready to take the leap? Great – we can’t wait to work with you!
With FDL on the way out, there’s no time to lose. The good news is that switching to AppsFlyer is pretty straightforward.
Our step-by-step migration guide provides a full breakdown of who does what and when, but here’s an overview of the key points:
Of course, you won’t be on your own. Our dedicated team will support you every step of the way to make sure your migration runs like clockwork.
But don’t just take our word for it — here’s what one of our clients has to say about making the switch:
“The process of migrating was much easier than we expected. We literally just switched overnight and haven’t looked back since. AppsFlyer instills real trust in their product when we’re speaking to them. They say ‘You guys do this and it’ll work.’ And it does work, so you don’t really question it. The migration to AppsFlyer really was seamless.”
Egemen Bor, Hepsiburada
Why wait to enhance your customer experience and boost your app growth?
You can get started with AppsFlyer today. Contact our Sales team to book a call. We’d love to talk through your goals and challenges so we can create a tailored plan just for you.
Any migration can feel like a daunting prospect, but it doesn’t have to be. We’re confident that once you start working with AppsFlyer, you’ll never look back!
Google is deprecating FDL to streamline its services and focus on core products. As the deep linking market evolves, they’re reallocating resources, allowing businesses to explore specialized solutions like AppsFlyer, which offer more advanced features and support. More information can be found here.
Google plans to deprecate FDL on August 25, 2025. This means that all links served by FDL will stop working, and customers will be unable to create new links or edit them.
Moving from Firebase to AppsFlyer not only ensures your user journeys will remain intact but also significantly enhances them and supports app growth. From Web-to-app flows through Smart Banners and Smart Script to scalable Bulk Links, custom QR code generation, and ESP integrations, this enriched toolset is a significant advantage when using AppsFlyer’s Deep linking technology: OneLink.
Migration time varies by account and depends on factors like team involvement, link volume, configurations, and whether a developer is needed. Use cases also affect the timeline, for example – SDK implementation may be required for User Invites or push campaigns, while simpler links in social media posts can be created via the OneLink Management page. AppsFlyer offers tools like parameter mapping, bulk creation, and API options to streamline the process, with our support team ensuring a smooth migration.
AppsFlyer offers customizable support tailored to your needs. All customers receive free access to online educational content, including migration guides and resources, a designated CSM for the first three months, and email support. Further comprehensive assistance is also available upon package, with 24/7 service and a dedicated CSM.
