Firebase Dynamic Links Deprecation 2025-2026: Status, Shutdown, and What to Do Now

Firebase Dynamic Links officially shut down on August 25, 2025. We are now well into 2026. Here is the definitive status report: what happened, what is broken, what still works, and what to do if you haven't migrated yet.

The Official Status: Firebase Dynamic Links Is Shut Down

Shutdown date: August 25, 2025

Google deprecated Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL) over several years before finally completing the shutdown in August 2025. As of 2026, the service is no longer operational for new link creation. The Firebase console no longer accepts new Dynamic Links, and the maintenance team has been dissolved.

This is not a "soft deprecation" with a TBD timeline. Firebase Dynamic Links is gone.

What Actually Happened — The Timeline

The 2026 Reality: The Zombie Link Problem

Here's what the 2026 situation actually looks like for apps still relying on Firebase links.

The official line is that "existing links continue to work." The real-world experience is more unpredictable:

The 404 Lottery. Google has been decommissioning page.link subdomains on a rolling basis. Some apps find their links returning immediate 404 errors. Others haven't seen issues yet. There is no public schedule for which subdomains are being shut down next — you don't know when your links will stop working.

Broken deferred deep linking. Even links that still technically redirect often fail at the deferred deep linking step. The user clicks a link, gets sent to the App Store, installs the app — but never lands on the intended screen. The attribution and routing layer is gone even when the redirect layer still works.

The "works for me" trap. The most dangerous scenario: your internal testing still passes. You share the link on iOS and it works. But a portion of your Android users, or users in specific regions, or users on certain carriers, are hitting dead ends. You don't know because your testing environment doesn't replicate the full range.

What Is Still Working (For Now)

• Some page.link redirects still point to app stores or web fallbacks
• Basic URL redirection may still function on non-decommissioned subdomains

What Is Definitively Broken

• Creating new Firebase Dynamic Links — fully disabled
• Deferred deep linking (new installs routed to specific in-app content)
• Firebase SDK attribution callbacks
• Any analytics tied to FDL infrastructure

The Business Cost of Staying on Firebase

Every day you run on zombie Firebase links is costing you:

Lost installs. When a referral link, ad link, or share link fails silently, that acquisition loop is broken permanently. The user doesn't retry. You don't get a second chance.

Burned ad spend. If your paid campaigns point to Firebase links and those links are returning 404s for some users, you are paying for clicks that go nowhere.

Broken onboarding. Deferred deep links were often used to send new installs to a specific screen (promo code, referral reward, first-time offer). With FDL gone, new users from those campaigns land on a generic home screen — and churn at higher rates.

Silent attribution collapse. If you tracked campaign performance through FDL, that data pipeline is now gone. You have no visibility into what's working.

Your Migration Options in 2026

There are three paths forward, each with a different tradeoff.

Option 1: Dedicated Deep Linking Platform (Recommended for Most Teams)

A platform built specifically to replace Firebase Dynamic Links. These tools map directly to what FDL did — deferred deep linking, link management, branded domains, SDKs — without the complexity of a full MMP.

Best for: Teams that used Firebase for deep linking and want a fast, affordable, like-for-like replacement.

Examples: ChottuLink, Airbridge Deep links

Typical cost: $0–$99/mo depending on MAU. ChottuLink's free tier (25K MAU, unlimited links) is specifically designed to replace Firebase's free offering.

Migration time: Most teams complete it in under a week.

Option 2: Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP)

Branch, Airbridge, AppsFlyer, or Adjust — platforms that combine deep linking with full paid-ad attribution.

Best for: Teams with significant paid UA spend who need attribution alongside deep linking.

Typical cost: $1000–$5000+/mo, scaling with MAU. Enterprise contracts required for full attribution features.

Migration time: 2–6 weeks depending on attribution configuration depth.

Option 3: Self-Hosted

Building your own deferred deep linking infrastructure using Universal Links (iOS) and App Links (Android), with your own matching service.

Best for: Large engineering teams with specific requirements that no vendor satisfies.

Typical cost: High in engineering time upfront; low ongoing hosting cost.

Migration time: 1–3 months minimum.

Step-by-Step Migration Checklist

Regardless of which platform you choose, the migration process follows the same structure.

Step 1: Audit your existing Firebase links

• Export all active Firebase Dynamic Links from the Firebase Console (if it's still accessible)
• Identify all places in your app, backend, and marketing materials where Firebase links are generated or hardcoded
• Flag your most critical links: referral flows, campaign URLs, onboarding deep links, QR codes in the wild

Step 2: Set up your replacement platform

• Create account and add your app (iOS Bundle ID, Android package name)
• Set up your custom branded domain (e.g., link.yourapp.com) — this is what your new links will use
• Configure your AASA file (iOS Universal Links) and assetlinks.json (Android App Links) on your new domain

Step 3: Swap the SDK

• Remove the Firebase Dynamic Links SDK dependency from your app
• Add your new platform's SDK
• Update deep link handling code — the entry point (where your app receives and processes a deep link) and the callback pattern may differ slightly
• Test the "app installed" flow: does the link open the right screen?
• Test the "app not installed" flow: does the link send the user to the correct App Store listing, then route them to the right screen after install?

Step 4: Recreate your links

• Recreate high-priority links manually or via API
• If you have many links (hundreds+), use your new platform's REST API for bulk creation
• Update any hardcoded Firebase links in your codebase, backend, or CMS

Step 5: Update external links

• Update links in live email campaigns, push notifications, and in-app share flows
• Update links in paid ad campaigns (update destination URLs in Meta, Google, TikTok)
• Update links in any printed materials or QR codes — print new versions if possible
• Update your app's share functionality to generate new platform links

Step 6: Test before going live

• Test deep links on real iOS and Android devices (emulators miss edge cases)
• Test across multiple browsers (Chrome, Safari, Samsung Internet, Firefox)
• Test the full deferred deep linking flow: install → open → land on correct screen
• Use a deep link health checker to validate AASA, assetlinks.json, and social preview metadata

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Firebase Dynamic Links still working in 2026?

Partially and unpredictably. The official shutdown was August 25, 2025. Some existing page.link redirects still function, but Google is decommissioning subdomains on a rolling basis. Deferred deep linking (the core feature most apps relied on) is broken. New links cannot be created. Continued reliance on Firebase Dynamic Links is a user experience and business risk.

What is the official Firebase Dynamic Links shutdown date?

August 25, 2025. Google disabled new link creation on this date and stopped maintaining the service.

Can I still create new Firebase Dynamic Links in 2026?

No. The ability to create new Firebase Dynamic Links was disabled on August 25, 2025.

Will existing page.link URLs still redirect?

Some still redirect some of the time. Google is decommissioning the backend infrastructure on a rolling schedule that is not publicly disclosed. This means existing links may work today and fail tomorrow, with no warning.

What replaced Firebase Dynamic Links?

There is no official Google replacement. The recommended path is to migrate to a third-party deep linking platform. Options include ChottuLink (dedicated deep linking, Firebase replacement focus), Branch (enterprise MMP), Airbridge (MMP), AppsFlyer (MMP), or a self-hosted implementation using Universal Links and Android App Links.

Do I need to release a new app version to migrate?

Yes, in most cases. Swapping the SDK requires an app update. However, you can create new links on your new platform before releasing the update and set up redirects, so the transition is invisible to most users.

How long does migration take?

With a dedicated deep linking platform like ChottuLink, most teams complete the migration in 3–7 days: one day for setup, one to two days for SDK integration and testing, one day for link recreation. The timeline extends if you have a large volume of links or complex attribution requirements.

Is there a free Firebase Dynamic Links alternative?

Yes. ChottuLink's free tier covers up to 25,000 Monthly Active Users with unlimited links and unlimited QR codes — specifically designed to match Firebase's previous free offering at a similar or better scale. No credit card required.

The Bottom Line

Firebase Dynamic Links shut down in August 2025. In 2026, the service is in an unpredictable zombie state — some links work, some don't, and you have no visibility into which. The only safe path is migration.

For most teams, a dedicated deep linking platform is the fastest and most cost-effective path. The migration takes under a week and the free tiers are sized for early-stage apps.

If you're still running on Firebase links, the question is not whether to migrate — it's how soon.

Start your free migration to ChottuLink →

Here are some useful Free Tools that can help you with your deep links.

Test your Deep Links before sharing with Deep Link Tester Tool

Ensure your deep links have a rich preview, before you share on social media. Get a free Preview of your links on the Social Link Preview Tool.

Don't just use a vanilla share message from inside your app, you can improve your share message, it doesn't cost anything. Try a few variations here: Share Message Analyzer Tool