What was Firebase Dynamic Links?
Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL) was Google's free deep linking service: one link that opened your app if it was installed, or sent the user to the store and then on to the right screen after install.
Many teams used it because it came free with Firebase. That also meant few had a plan for the day it stopped.
What broke on 25 August 2025?
Google shut Firebase Dynamic Links down on 25 August 2025, and according to Google's Firebase FAQ, existing Dynamic Links now return 404. In practice:
- Links on page.link stopped routing users anywhere.
- Deferred deep linking through Firebase ended, so there is nothing to carry a new user to the right screen after install.
- Share and invite flows that created links through Firebase need a new link source.
- Attribution was never part of Dynamic Links, so there is no install history to migrate, and also none to compare against.
Sort your old links first
Where a link lives decides whether it can be saved.
| Where the link lives | What happens now | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| page.link subdomain | Returns 404 and cannot be moved | Create a new link and replace it everywhere |
| Your own custom domain | The domain can be pointed at a new provider | Point it at Linkrunner and recreate the same paths |
| QR code on page.link | No longer works | Print a new code |
| QR code on your custom domain | Works again once the domain and paths are set up | Recreate the same paths in Linkrunner |
| In-app share or invite links | Stopped working | Rebuild the flow on Linkrunner links, with referral tracking |
page.link domain: the Google-owned subdomain that Firebase issued by default. Links on it cannot be moved to another provider.
Custom domain: a link domain you own, such as links.yourapp.com. Because you control its DNS, you can point it at a new provider.
How do you move QR codes off Firebase Dynamic Links?
A QR code is a printed URL. If that URL sits on a custom domain you control, point the domain at Linkrunner and recreate the same path, and the printed code works again. If it sits on page.link, the code cannot be saved: create a Linkrunner QR code deep link and replace the print.
- Start with codes still in circulation: packaging, posters, store displays, invoices and event material.
- Give each new code its own link. Linkrunner attributes installs from QR codes and offline placements, so you can see which code drives installs.
- Keep a list of each code, its link and where it was printed, so the next audit takes minutes.
Step-by-step move to Linkrunner
- List every live link in ads, emails, push, influencer bios, website banners, QR codes and in-app share flows.
- Sort each link by domain, using the table above.
- Add the Linkrunner SDK and remove the Firebase Dynamic Links code. SDKs cover React Native, Flutter, iOS, Android, Expo, Unity, Capacitor, Cordova and web, and teams typically go live within a week.
- Set up your link domain for Universal Links on iOS and App Links on Android. Deep Link Doctor's Universal Links setup guide covers the entitlement and association file Apple checks.
- Recreate your links in Linkrunner. Every link is dynamic and deferred by default, on every plan, including Free.
- Test four paths: app installed and not installed, on iOS and on Android, inside social apps as well as browsers.
- Swap links everywhere and reprint any QR codes that pointed at page.link.
What you gain over Firebase
Replacing FDL like for like would leave the same gap it always had: no view of which campaign drove an install. Linkrunner closes it.
- Attribution: click to install, sign-up and revenue in one dashboard.
- Every channel: paid ads, organic, influencer, QR codes, offline, WhatsApp and SMS links in one place.
- Your own domain: branded short links on custom domains, with Universal Links and App Links.
- Free to start: the first 25k attributed installs are free, with no credit card.
Stratzy, a Linkrunner customer, identified higher-ROAS campaigns after migrating off Firebase Dynamic Links.
The Linkrunner vs Firebase Dynamic Links page has the side-by-side, the feature matrix shows which other vendors include deep linking on their free or entry plans, and the startup guide explains when Linkrunner costs start. Linkrunner's own Firebase Dynamic Links migration page covers the move from its side.