How to bypass in-app browsers

Step-by-step guide on how to open a Linkie page outside an in-app browser

When someone taps your Linkie bio link from Instagram, TikTok, or another social media app, the Open page in default browser setting helps them open your Linkie page in Safari or Chrome instead of the app’s built-in browser. The prompt or banner they see depends on the app.

This gives visitors access to features such as saved logins, password managers, autofill, and regular browser settings. The Linkie page URL stays the same.

Open in default browser

When enabled, the setting detects when a visitor opens your Linkie page in an in-app browser and helps them continue in Safari, Chrome, or the device's default browser. It changes the browser context, not your Linkie page URL, page content, or Smart Link destination.

Open page settings

Go to the playground, then click your Linkie URL in the top-left corner. From there, click the Settings icon.

Turn on the setting

In page settings, find the Open page in default browser toggle among the page-level options. Turn it on, then click Save.

Once enabled, the setting applies automatically when a visitor opens your Linkie page from a supported mobile app. No additional steps are required.

The setting works with both:

• A standard Linkie page URL, such as https://linkie.bio/yourname.
• A connected custom domain, such as https://yourdomain.com.

Your Linkie page must be published and public. The setting does not make a hidden or private page accessible.

Supported apps

Linkie has validated the external-browser flow on current mobile versions of these apps on iOS and Android:

Status: ✅ Validated

The prompt and button label can vary between apps, app versions, devices, and the location where the URL is shared.

What visitors see

This screenshot shows the Instagram flow on iOS. Other apps and Android devices can use different prompt wording or button placement.

When a visitor opens your Linkie page from a supported app:

1. The visitor taps your Linkie page URL.
2. A prompt appears.
3. The visitor taps Open or the equivalent confirmation action.
4. The same Linkie page opens in Safari on iOS or Chrome or the device's default browser on Android.

If the visitor taps Cancel, the page stays in the current app or the handoff stops.

Open in default browser vs Smart Links

The Open page in default browser setting changes the browser context. It helps visitors move from an app's in-app browser to Safari, Chrome, or the device's default browser.

Smart Links change the destination. They send visitors to different URLs based on rules such as country, operating system, or browser.

The setting does not replace the default destination or rules in a Smart Link. If you use Smart Links, keep a valid default destination configured so visitors still have somewhere to go when no rule matches.

Troubleshooting

The Linkie page stays inside the app

Check the following:

1. Confirm that Open page in default browser is turned on and saved in page settings.
2. Make sure the Linkie page is published and public.
3. Tap a full, tappable Linkie URL instead of a URL shown only as plain text.
4. Update the social media app and try again.
5. On Android, check which browser is set as the device's default browser.

Some apps may open a page in their own browser by design, may show the prompt later, or may use their default browser behavior. The prompt and handoff can also change after an app update.

The confirmation prompt does not appear

The prompt will not appear when:

• The source app has already opened the page in an external browser.
• The URL is not recognized as a tappable link.
• The visitor opened the page directly in Safari or Chrome.
• The app version has changed its link-opening behavior.

If the feature is enabled and the issue continues, contact Linkie support with the Linkie page URL, source app, device, and operating system version.

The wrong browser opens

On iOS, the expected external browser is Safari. On Android, the expected browser is Chrome or the browser selected as the device's default.

If another browser opens on Android, check the device's default-app settings.

The page is blank or does not finish loading

Open the Linkie URL directly in Safari or Chrome. If it also fails there:

• Check that the URL is spelled correctly.
• Confirm that the page is published and public.
• Check that the page's cards and content are saved.
• Try the standard Linkie URL if you use a custom domain.

If the standard Linkie URL works but the custom domain does not, confirm that the domain is connected and shows a live status.

The correct page opens, but content is missing

Confirm that the content is public and saved on the Linkie page. Check the page in the Linkie playground, then open Preview to verify the public view.

If only one embedded card is missing, check that card's destination separately.

Things to note

• Turn on the Open page in default browser toggle in page settings.
• On iOS, the expected external browser is Safari.
• On Android, the expected external browser is Chrome or the device's default browser.
• TikTok may require press and hold → Go to link.
• The flow works with standard Linkie URLs and connected custom domains.
• App interfaces and link behavior can change when social media apps release updates.
• The setting changes the browser context; Smart Links change the destination.

Updated on: 29/09/2026