Use caseContent creatorsFeature: Open in the app1 min read
Open your videos in the app, not in the browser
A YouTube link shared on Instagram opens in a small browser where nobody is signed in. Result: no subscribe, no like. Opening in the app fixes that.
You share your new YouTube video in your Instagram story. Your followers tap the link and… the video opens in Instagram's built-in browser. They are not signed in to YouTube: subscribing or liking takes three extra screens. Many give up.
Opening in the app
Turn on Open in the app on your Bref link. On mobile, when the destination belongs to a well-known app, Bref tries to open it directly:
- on Android, the app opens; if it is not installed, the browser takes over;
- on iPhone, Bref uses the app's opening address when there is one, and otherwise lets Apple's universal links do the job.
On desktop, nothing changes: a normal redirect.
Supported apps
YouTube (and YouTube Music), Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Apple Music, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitch, Pinterest, Reddit, Amazon and Netflix. Just paste the usual link to the video, profile or track.
A real example
A food creator publishes a video recipe every week. She uses a single link, /recipe, in her Instagram bio and TikTok description:
- Every Monday, she changes the destination to the new video.
- Open in the app sends her followers straight into YouTube, already signed in.
- Analytics show her where visits come from (Instagram, TikTok, her newsletter) and the share of mobile.
Combine with rules
A link can also send to two platforms depending on the device: YouTube on Android, the same video on another platform for those who prefer it. Or your Amazon store on mobile and your website on desktop.
An open app means a signed-in user. And a signed-in user is the one who subscribes.
