Register Custom URL Scheme In IOS: A Quick Guide

Nov 15, 2025 by Alex Braham 49 views

Hey guys! Ever wanted your iOS app to be opened by clicking a link in a webpage or another app? That's where custom URL schemes come in super handy! Think of it like creating your own special doorway into your app. Let's dive into how you can register your own custom URL scheme in iOS and make your app even more awesome.

Understanding Custom URL Schemes

So, what exactly is a custom URL scheme? Simply put, it's a way to identify your app using a unique prefix. When a user taps on a URL with your custom scheme, iOS recognizes it and launches your app (if it's installed, of course!). This is incredibly useful for deep linking, inter-app communication, and creating seamless user experiences.

For example, imagine you have an app called "MyApp." You could register a custom URL scheme like myapp://. Now, if a user clicks on a link like myapp://open?page=home, iOS will open your app and you can handle the open?page=home part to navigate the user directly to the home page. Pretty cool, right?

The beauty of custom URL schemes lies in their simplicity and effectiveness. They provide a straightforward mechanism for apps to interact with each other and with the web, enhancing the overall functionality and user experience. By registering a custom URL scheme, you're essentially telling the operating system, "Hey, I'm here, and I can handle URLs that start with this particular prefix!" This allows your app to become an active participant in the broader ecosystem of apps and services on the user's device.

Moreover, custom URL schemes are relatively easy to implement. The configuration is primarily done through your app's Info.plist file, and the code required to handle incoming URLs is straightforward. This makes it an accessible feature for developers of all skill levels, allowing them to quickly integrate deep linking and inter-app communication capabilities into their applications. The result is a more connected and versatile app that can seamlessly interact with other apps and services, providing a richer and more integrated user experience.

Step-by-Step Guide to Registering a Custom URL Scheme

Alright, let's get our hands dirty and walk through the process step-by-step. Follow along, and you'll have your custom URL scheme up and running in no time!

Step 1: Open Your Project in Xcode

First things first, fire up Xcode and open the project where you want to register the custom URL scheme. Make sure you have the correct project selected in the Xcode window.

Step 2: Navigate to Your Project's Info.plist File

In the Project Navigator (usually on the left side of Xcode), find your project's name. Under it, you'll see a file named Info.plist. This is where we'll be making the magic happen. If you can't find it, make sure you haven't accidentally filtered it out in the Project Navigator settings.

The Info.plist file is a critical component of your iOS app, as it contains essential metadata and configuration settings. This file is used by the operating system to understand various aspects of your app, such as its display name, bundle identifier, supported device orientations, and, of course, custom URL schemes. Modifying the Info.plist file allows you to customize your app's behavior and appearance, ensuring that it integrates seamlessly with the iOS environment.

Step 3: Add a URL Types Entry

Now, right-click anywhere in the Info.plist file and select "Add Row." In the newly added row, type in URL types and select it from the autocomplete suggestions. This will create an array where you can define your custom URL schemes.

If you prefer, you can also open the Info.plist file as source code (right-click -> Open As -> Source Code) and add the following XML snippet inside the <dict> tag:

<key>CFBundleURLTypes</key>
<array>
  <dict>
    <key>CFBundleURLName</key>
    <string>com.example.myapp</string>
    <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
    <array>
      <string>myapp</string>
    </array>
  </dict>
</array>

This step essentially prepares your app to handle custom URLs. By adding the URL types entry, you're telling iOS that your app is capable of responding to specific URL schemes. This is a crucial step in enabling deep linking and inter-app communication, as it establishes the foundation for your app to interact with other apps and services via custom URLs. Without this entry, iOS would not know to direct URLs with your custom scheme to your app, rendering your efforts to implement deep linking ineffective.

Step 4: Define Your Custom URL Scheme

Expand the URL types array. You'll see a dictionary inside it. Inside this dictionary, you need to add two keys:

URL identifier: This is a unique identifier for your URL type. It's often your app's bundle identifier (e.g., com.example.myapp).
URL Schemes: This is an array of the actual URL schemes you want to register (e.g., myapp).

To add these keys, right-click inside the dictionary and select "Add Row" again. Add URL identifier and set its value to your app's bundle identifier. Then, add another row, type URL Schemes, and select the array type. Inside the URL Schemes array, add a string item and set its value to your desired custom URL scheme (e.g., myapp).

Choosing the right custom URL scheme is an important consideration. It should be unique and easily identifiable with your app. Avoid using generic or common terms that might conflict with other apps. A good practice is to use your app's name or a variation thereof as the scheme. For example, if your app is called "Awesome Photos," you could use awesomephotos:// as your custom URL scheme. This helps ensure that your scheme is distinct and minimizes the risk of collisions with other apps' schemes.

Step 5: Handle the URL in Your App Delegate

Now that you've registered your custom URL scheme, you need to handle incoming URLs in your app. Open your AppDelegate.swift (or AppDelegate.m if you're using Objective-C) file.

In your AppDelegate, you need to implement the application(_:open:options:) method. This method is called when your app is opened via a URL scheme. Here's how you can do it in Swift:

func application(_ app: UIApplication, open url: URL, options: [UIApplication.OpenURLOptionsKey : Any] = [:]) -> Bool {
    // Handle the URL here
    if let urlString = url.absoluteString {
        print(