Appy

Free tool · In-app browser checker

In-app browser checker

Open this page inside Instagram, TikTok, WeChat or any other app and it tells you which browser you are really in, the user agent it sends, and what happens to your link when someone taps it there.

  • Detects 10 in-app browsers
  • Tests your own link
  • Real user agents for each app
  • Runs in your browser

This browser, right now

Reading your browser…

Test your link here

Paste the link you put in bios and posts, then tap it. This page watches what happens after the tap and tells you.

A web link, a store link or an app scheme. It stays on this device.

Check a user agent

Paste a user agent from your server logs or analytics to see which app’s browser sent it.

Try one

User agents

How each in-app browser names itself

Most in-app browsers add the app’s name to the user agent, the line a browser sends with every request. That is how this page, and Appy links, tell them apart. Below is what to look for and a real example for each app.

Some apps add nothing. X and Telegram on iPhone have used Apple’s Safari view, which sends Safari’s own user agent, so no website can tell them from Safari.

  • Instagram
    Look for
    • Instagram
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 Instagram 307.0.2.14.107 (iPhone15,3; iOS 17_1; en_US; en; scale=3.00; 1290x2796; 532277437)

    Android

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 13; SM-S908B Build/TP1A.220624.014; wv) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/119.0.6045.66 Mobile Safari/537.36 Instagram 307.0.0.34.111 Android (33/13; 480dpi; 1080x2340; samsung; SM-S908B; b0q; qcom; en_US; 532277433)

  • TikTok
    Look for
    • musical_ly
    • trill_
    • TikTok
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 musical_ly_32.5.0 JsSdk/2.0 NetType/WIFI Channel/App Store ByteLocale/en Region/US

    Android

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 13; SM-A536B Build/TP1A.220624.014; wv) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/119.0.6045.66 Mobile Safari/537.36 trill_320504 JsSdk/1.0 NetType/WIFI Channel/googleplay AppName/trill app_version/32.5.4 ByteLocale/en

  • Facebook
    Look for
    • FBAN/
    • FBAV/
    • FB_IAB/
    • FBIOS
    • FB4A
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 [FBAN/FBIOS;FBAV/440.0.0.33.116;FBBV/536418093;FBDV/iPhone15,3;FBMD/iPhone;FBSN/iOS;FBSV/17.1;FBSS/3;FBID/phone;FBLC/en_US;FBOP/5;FBRV/0]

    Android

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 13; SM-S908B Build/TP1A.220624.014; wv) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/119.0.6045.66 Mobile Safari/537.36 [FB_IAB/FB4A;FBAV/440.0.0.31.105;]

  • Messenger
    Look for
    • FBAN/MessengerForiOS
    • FBAN/MessengerLiteForiOS
    • FB_IAB/Messenger
    • FB_IAB/Orca-Android
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 [FBAN/MessengerForiOS;FBAV/437.0.0.39.106;FBBV/530934384;FBDV/iPhone15,3;FBMD/iPhone;FBSN/iOS;FBSV/17.1;FBSS/3;FBCR/;FBID/phone;FBLC/en_US;FBOP/5]

  • WeChat
    Look for
    • MicroMessenger/
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 MicroMessenger/8.0.44(0x18002c2f) NetType/WIFI Language/zh_CN

    Android

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 13; V2219A Build/TP1A.220624.014; wv) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/107.0.5304.141 Mobile Safari/537.36 XWEB/5235 MMWEBSDK/20230701 MMWEBID/2585 MicroMessenger/8.0.40.2420(0x28002837) WeChat/arm64 Weixin NetType/WIFI Language/zh_CN ABI/arm64

  • Snapchat
    Look for
    • Snapchat/
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 Snapchat/12.60.0.40 (like Safari/8617.2.4.10.8, panda)

  • LinkedIn
    Look for
    • LinkedInApp
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 [LinkedInApp]/9.29.6930

  • X
    Look for
    • Twitter for iPhone
    • Twitter for iPad
    • TwitterAndroid
    Example

    Android

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 13; Pixel 7 Build/TQ3A.230901.001; wv) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/118.0.5993.111 Mobile Safari/537.36 TwitterAndroid

  • Telegram
    Look for
    • Telegram
    Example

    Android

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 14; SM-S918B Build/UP1A.231005.007; wv) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/120.0.6099.193 Mobile Safari/537.36 Telegram-Android/10.6.2 (Samsung SM-S918B; Android 14; SDK 34; HIGH)

  • LINE
    Look for
    • Line/
    Example

    iPhone

    Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 Safari Line/13.20.0

    Android

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 13; SM-S908B Build/TP1A.220624.014; wv) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/119.0.6045.66 Mobile Safari/537.36 Line/13.20.1/IAB

Matching ignores upper and lower case. Link preview bots such as facebookexternalhit, TelegramBot and LinkedInBot are not in-app browsers and don’t match.

App by app

What each app does with your link

In an in-app browser the host app sees every tap first and decides whether your link may leave. This is what is documented for each one, and how people get out.

  • Instagram

    LinksIts own browser on iPhone and Android. Branch and AppsFlyer, both deep link vendors, say Universal Links don’t open apps from organic Instagram links, and developers report that Android intent:// links aren’t launched.

    Getting outTap ••• in the top corner and choose to open the page in your browser. In Felix Krause’s 2022 survey there was no setting to switch the in-app browser off.

  • TikTok

    LinksIts own browser on iPhone (Krause, 2022). TikTok documents deep links for ads only, and TopView ads take none at all. How bio links behave isn’t documented.

    Getting outIn 2022 there was no button to leave. Look for ••• in the corner and an option to open the page in your browser; if it isn’t there, copy the link into Safari or Chrome.

  • Facebook

    LinksMeta’s help center says links open inside the app. AppsFlyer says Facebook suppresses Universal Links for organic posts on iPhone. For ads, Meta’s developer blog (2018) says the Facebook app can check whether your app is installed.

    Getting outTap ••• and choose Open in browser. Meta documents this for iPhone, iPad and Android.

  • Messenger

    LinksIts own browser on iPhone (Krause, 2022). Developers report that custom schemes no longer open from it.

    Getting outUse the menu at the top and choose to open the page in your default browser.

  • WeChat

    LinksDevelopers have reported since 2014 that WeChat’s browser won’t let links open other apps or the App Store. The supported route is WeChat’s wx-open-launch-app tag, which needs your app linked in WeChat Open Platform.

    Getting outTap ··· in the top-right corner and choose to open the page in your browser (Safari on iPhone).

  • Snapchat

    LinksIts own browser on iPhone (Krause, 2022). Snap’s ad specs don’t allow Android intent URIs in web view attachments, and Universal Deep Links work only with the Deep Link attachment.

    Getting outOpen the menu in Snapchat’s browser and choose to open the page in your phone’s browser.

  • LinkedIn

    LinksOpens links in its own browser. LinkedIn doesn’t document how it treats Universal Links.

    Getting outA 2022 guide describes an “Open web links in app” setting. With it off, links go to your browser.

  • X

    LinksOn iPhone it used Apple’s Safari view in 2022 (Krause), which looks like Safari to a website. AppsFlyer says X’s iOS browser blocks opening apps through URI schemes.

    Getting outIn Apple’s Safari view, tap the Safari button to move the page to Safari.

  • Telegram

    LinksTelegram’s June 2026 update lets people choose where links open and keep per-site lists for the Telegram Browser.

    Getting outLong-press a link to pick a browser. The default is in Privacy and Security › Open Links in on iPhone, and Chat Settings › In-App Browser on Android.

  • LINE

    LinksIts own browser on iPhone and Android. LINE documents two link parameters that decide where a URL opens.

    Getting outUse the menu in LINE’s browser to open the page in your phone’s browser. When you share links in LINE, add openExternalBrowser=1 to links you share in LINE and they open there directly. On Android, openInAppBrowser=0 opens a Chrome Custom Tab. Neither works for LIFF apps.

Sources: the apps’ help centers and developer docs, LINE Developers, Felix Krause’s iOS survey (August 2022) and the deep link vendors Branch and AppsFlyer. In-app browsers change without notice, so old findings carry their year.

With Appy

What people see when your link opens inside Instagram

Appy recognises the same 10 in-app browsers this page does. Instead of redirecting into a dead end, a Pro link shows a short page in the visitor’s language: a real button to open your app, a store button that always works, and the way out.

  1. 1

    Open the app

    A real tap. When Instagram lets it through, your app opens on the right screen. If the page is still showing two seconds later, it says so and points to the next option.

  2. 2

    Go to the App Store

    Always on the page: the App Store, Google Play, AppGallery or your website, whichever fits the phone. It works without JavaScript too. On iPhone, inside Instagram and TikTok, the App Store button goes through Safari, because developers have reported since July 2026 that App Store links don’t open there.

  3. 3

    Doesn’t open? Use Safari

    The two steps out of the in-app browser. On Android the box also holds an Open in Chrome button that moves the page to Chrome in one tap, if the host app passes it on.

What an iPhone visitor sees when your Pro link opens inside Instagram. On Android the app button is an intent:// link that goes to Google Play if the app doesn’t open. Your reports count clicks per in-app browser.

In-app browser questions

What is an in-app browser?

It is the browser an app such as Instagram, TikTok or Facebook opens when you tap a link, so you never leave the app. Some apps build their own on Apple’s WKWebView or Android’s WebView; others use the system’s in-app view, Apple’s Safari view or Chrome Custom Tabs. The first kind is the one that stops links from opening other apps.

How can I tell if a link opened in Instagram’s in-app browser?

Open this page from Instagram and the box at the top says so. By eye, look at the top of the screen: an in-app browser shows the app’s own bar with an × and a ••• menu instead of the Safari or Chrome address bar. A website can tell from the user agent, which contains “Instagram” and the app version.

What is Instagram’s in-app browser user agent?

The phone’s normal web view user agent with “Instagram”, the app version and device details added at the end, for example “Instagram 307.0.2.14.107 (iPhone15,3; iOS 17_1; en_US …)”. On Android it also contains “; wv)”, the mark of an Android WebView. Look for “Instagram” anywhere in the string.

What does WeChat’s user agent look like?

WeChat adds “MicroMessenger/” and its version, for example “MicroMessenger/8.0.44”, followed by NetType and Language. On Android you will also see “WeChat” or “Weixin” and XWEB, its browser engine. Checking for “MicroMessenger” is how most sites detect WeChat.

Can a website force Instagram or TikTok to open Safari?

On iPhone, no. There is no documented way for a page to move itself from an app’s browser to Safari; the person has to use the app’s menu. On Android a page can offer an intent:// link that hands it to Chrome, and that works whenever the host app passes it on. On Android, the Open this page in Chrome button above does exactly that.

Why doesn’t my app open from a link in Instagram or TikTok?

Because the host app decides. Universal Links and App Links open your app only when the browser hands the tap to the system, and in-app browsers often don’t. App schemes like myapp:// are blocked in several of them. Run the test above inside the app to see which case your link falls into.

Does TikTok have an in-app browser?

Yes. Links in bios, comments and ads open in TikTok’s own browser, which names itself in the user agent with musical_ly or trill. In 2022 it had no button to leave, so test your bio link inside TikTok before a campaign goes out.

Can I turn off Instagram’s in-app browser?

Not with a setting: Felix Krause found none in 2022. Per link, tap ••• and choose to open it in your browser. Telegram does have a setting for where links open, and a 2022 guide describes one for LinkedIn.

How does Appy handle in-app browsers?

Appy recognises the same 10 in-app browsers this tool detects. On Pro, instead of redirecting into a dead end, the link shows a short page in the visitor’s language with a real Open the app button, a store button and the steps out, plus an Open in Chrome button on Android. Reports count clicks per in-app browser, so you see how much of your traffic arrives this way.

Is my link or user agent stored?

No. Detection runs in your browser and the link you test stays on your device. When you copy a test link, your link sits after the # in the address, a part browsers don’t send to servers.

One link, every app

Stop losing taps inside Instagram and TikTok

Make one Appy link for your app. On every plan it sends each phone to the right store. On Pro it opens your app where the browser allows it and shows a way out where it doesn’t.

Build my link
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