Not every twitch.tv address opens the app, and that's Twitch's choice. The file twitch.tv publishes for Apple (apple-app-site-association) marks pages such as /login, /bits-checkout/, /help/, /jobs/ and /store/ with NOT, which keeps them in the browser even on a phone with Twitch installed. Clips and videos are listed for the app. The file ends with a catch-all that claims any single-name address not already ruled on, and that's where twitch.tv/yourchannel lands.
How each form handles twitch.tv/yourchannel
- The https link (
https://www.twitch.tv/yourchannel). Opens the channel in Twitch, or loads it on twitch.tv. The Android file for twitch.tv names tv.twitch.android.app. - The custom scheme (
twitch://stream/yourchannel). Twitch's developer documentation covers its API, EventSub and embeds, not a scheme for viewers, so this form is unconfirmed. Keep it for a button inside something you control, where Twitch is sure to be there. - The Android intent. In Chrome on Android, opens the channel in Twitch; if Twitch is missing, Chrome loads twitch.tv/yourchannel instead.
Channel links only
The generator takes the first part of the path as the channel name. That's right for twitch.tv/yourchannel. For other Twitch links it goes wrong in two ways. A clip link comes back as the plain channel link, with the clip dropped. A link that starts with a section, such as twitch.tv/videos/ and a number, comes back as a channel called videos. Share video and clip links as they are: the https address is already the right form, and Twitch's file sends them to the app.
How to test it
- On Android, Google's App Links documentation gives a command that simulates a tap from a computer connected to the phone:
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -c android.intent.category.BROWSABLE -d "https://www.twitch.tv/yourchannel". With Twitch installed, the channel should open in the app. - On any phone, tap the link from where you'll publish it: your bio, a chat, an email. On an iPhone, also tap a /login link and watch it stay in the browser, as Twitch's Apple file says it should.
YouTube channels work the same way; the YouTube deep link page covers channels and videos. The TikTok page covers short links that need unwrapping before the generator can read them. Any other supported link goes in the main deep link generator.