Blogs

When we started Branch in June of last year, we aimed to build a company that solved the biggest challenge we ourselves experienced as app developers: growth.

Ad blocking on iOS has been a hot topic recently because new features in iOS 9 allow third-party apps to block ads in Safari. The implications for publishers are huge: some have even declared this move the beginning of the “slow death of the web”, since ubiquitous use of ad blocking would kill the dominant… Read more »

For many app developers, the only thing harder than getting users to install their app is getting them to continue using it. Branch is a great tool for driving continuing engagement over the entire user lifecycle, from onboarding to retention to re-engagement. Integrating the SDK and turning on deep links is the first step. Here… Read more »

This is a question we’ve gotten a few times since Universal Links launched on iOS 9. Branch is fully compatible with Universal Links and, in fact, makes the setup process much easier. Plus, Branch handles the edge cases when Universal Links fail – which is often.

Since the beginning of Android, deep linking has been a struggle to implement due to the fragmented nature of link redirection. It was incredibly hard to open up the app when installed, or fall back to a website when not. With the launch of the new version of Android, they created a new mechanism for… Read more »

On the Branch blog, we’ve talked a lot about deep linking, deferred deep linking, contextual deep linking… you name it. You’ve learned the values Branch links provide, from deep linking for marketing links, content sharing, referral programs, onboarding, and more. But if you want to get into the specifics on how our Branch linking works,… Read more »

All mobile developers want the same thing: to increase the number of people that download their app. Growth hacking is still everyone’s top priority. (Well, except for Bing Gordon. He wants you to worry about retention, but I’ll soon get to why these steps for app growth inherently increase retention.)

Core Spotlight, a new feature of iOS 9, can have a huge impact on app discovery for developers. Now, users can search within your app to find the specific content they care about. Here’s an example screenshot using the Branch test app, “Branch Monster Factory”.

For mobile app developers, 2015 feels like 1998 as the war for “mobile SEO” begins. Apple just released iOS 9 — the newest version of their mobile operating system. iOS 9 comes with an important update to Spotlight search that could change the way apps are discovered, and kick off a battle for getting app… Read more »