The problem
Mango, a personal-finance iOS app, was sharing referral links via SMS and email. Each one pointed to https://mango.app/invite/abc. On mobile, the link opened Safari — even when the app was installed. 70% of users dropped off before signup.
The fix
The team moved every referral link to shoort.xyz with a Universal Links setup:
- iOS:
mango://invite?code=abc(opens the app) - Android:
intent://invite?code=abc(opens the app) - Web: a fallback page with App Store / Play Store buttons
shoort.xyz auto-generates the apple-app-site-association file Apple requires. No server work.
Results in 30 days
- +112% direct app opens
- 2× referral conversion rate
- -58% friction (one tap instead of three)
Takeaway
A plain link is never neutral — it forces the browser. Universal Links make your app the default destination when installed, which is what users have always expected.