Is it possible to launch an iPhone app from a text message?

Question

This question:

Launch iPhone app from link in email

suggests that it's possible to launch a particular iPhone application from a link in an email. Is it possible to include an app-launching link of this type in a text message, so that the reader has the option of pressing it (and launching the app) in the same way that they can call a phone number in a text message?

Answer 1

Read the iOS application programming guide section Implementing Custom URL Schemes.

1. Add a row to your Info.plist (right-click the root item and select Add Row) and give the new row the key URL types.

2. Open up the item that is added as a child of that row and set the URL identifier to something like com.yourcompany.product.

3. Add a child row to Item 0 and give it the key URL Schemes

4. Set the value on that row to something unique. Maybe your app name (no spaces, just letters).

5. Implement the application:handleOpenURL: in your application delegate in case you want to actually look at the URL.