Firebase Dynamic Links are shutting down – Here's what to do (Alternative + Migration Guide)

If you’re using Firebase Dynamic Links in your app or campaigns, it’s time to prepare: Google is deprecating Firebase Dynamic Links on August 25, 2025.

After that date, existing links will return a 404 error — meaning they’ll stop working entirely.

If you rely on dynamic links to power installs, user re-engagement, or deep navigation inside your app, this is a critical deadline.

What’s Happening?

From the official support page:

After August 25, 2025, Firebase Dynamic Links will be fully shut down. Any links created will stop working and return a 404.

That includes:

• All Firebase links (*.page.link) created via console or API
• Links embedded in your emails, social campaigns, or app
• Existing links in the wild — they won’t redirect or degrade gracefully

There’s no automatic migration or fallback mechanism provided.

Why You Should Act Now

Waiting until the last minute could result in:

• Broken links across marketing assets, emails, and push notifications
• Lost installs and poor user experience
• Marketing attribution failures
• Confused users and lower app store conversion

If you’re unsure whether this affects you — it likely does.

What Are Your Options?

Firebase doesn’t provide a drop-in replacement, so you’ll need to migrate to an alternative. Here are your two main options:

Option 1: Use a 3rd-Party Service Like 1link.io

1link.io is a simple and robust alternative to Firebase Dynamic Links — no server setup required.

What you get:

• Deep linking for iOS and Android (Universal Links / App Links)
• Ready-to-use hosted redirect domain (or connect your own)
• Branded short links (e.g. app.yourbrand.com/promo)
• Automatically generated QR codes
• Analytics
• Automatically generated landing pages for desktop users
• URL shortener

You don’t need to:

• Write or host redirect scripts
• Set up SSL certificates or DNS
• Host and maintain JSON files for domain associations

👉 Start for free — no credit card required

Option 2: Set Up a Self-Hosted Redirect Solution

If you prefer not to use a third-party service, you can build and host your own redirect service. This gives you full control, but it’s more complex and time-consuming.

Here’s a simplified overview of what’s required:

1. Set up a custom domain and SSL certificate

• You’ll need to host your links under a secure domain
• HTTPS is required for Universal Links and App Links to work

2. Create and serve Apple’s “apple-app-site-association” file

• This must be available at: https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association
• The file must be uncompressed, served with the correct application/json content type, and include your app’s team ID, bundleID and paths

3. Create and serve Android’s “assetlinks.json” file

• Must be available at: https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json
• This JSON must include your package name and SHA-256 key certificate fingerprints

4. Create a landing page for desktop users

• You can use any static site generator or framework to create a landing page
• The landing page will be used to redirect non-mobile users to the fallback page

5. Set up redirect logic on your server/frontend

• Redirect mobile users to your app’s custom URI scheme or deep link
• Redirect non-mobile users to the App Store / Play Store or a fallback page
• Handle edge cases for tablets, unknown devices, expired links, etc.
• Implement analytics

6. Deploy and maintain infrastructure

• Monitor uptime and latency
• Rotate SSL certificates
• Ensure JSON files remain accurate when your app changes

Our Recommendation

While setting up a self-hosted redirect service is totally doable, it’s also time-consuming and error-prone — especially if your team is focused on product.

That’s why we built 1link.io — to handle all of this for you, so you can focus on building great apps instead of managing redirects.

Whether you’re running a small app or a global campaign, 1link.io can help you migrate smoothly and quickly — and it’s free to start.

How to Migrate in Minutes

1. Sign up for 1link.io
2. Add your app details (package name, app store URLs, etc.)
3. Create your deep link and share it!

Final Thoughts

The shutdown of Firebase Dynamic Links is a big change — but also a chance to simplify and improve your deep linking strategy. Whether you go with a self-hosted solution or 1link.io, acting early will give you peace of mind (and save you from scrambling next year).

Questions? Need help migrating? We’re here to help.