How to test custom URL scheme in android

Question

I'm working on app that requires Custom URL Scheme looks like "appname://"

I've searched lot of things and also found many related questions, but I'm still having trouble.

How I can test this URL Scheme from a browser? Currently, whenever I type in a browser's address bar "appname://", it goest directly to a Google search.

I have this in my AndroidManifest.xml:

<intent-filter> 
         <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" /> 
         <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" /> 
         <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" /> 
         <data android:scheme="appname"
             android:host="appnamehost"/>
</intent-filter>

Answer 1

That is easy via adb. Check this command:

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "appname://appnamehost" your.package.name 

However you should use your package name as schema. So you can be absolutely sure that there is no conflict (or in detail a intent chooser).

If you have multiple devices you need to execute adb devices. This will result a output like this:

List of devices attached 1645e1d0b86b    device S9WM00904386    device 

Then you can use that id from above to address a concrete device with the -s parameter. This will result a command line like this:

adb -s S9WM00904386 shell [...] 

In case of a browser link this is also easy. You just need to add this line of html:

<a href="appname://appnamehost">Click me</a> 

If you want a fallback in your url you could try the intent url:

<a href="intent://apphostname#Intent;scheme=appname;package=your.package.name;S.browser_fallback_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com;end">with alternative</a> 

This will open your app even if you schema is not unique, and if you app is not installed it will open example.com.