Samsung Branch Share Bug: Deep Links Triggered!

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Samsung Branch Bug: Deep Links Triggered After Sharing Links

Samsung Branch Bug: Deep Links Triggered After Sharing Links

Hey guys! Ever run into a weird issue where your app behaves strangely after a user shares a link? Well, there's a nasty little bug that pops up when using Branch links and the share_plus package in Flutter, but only on Samsung devices. Let's dive into what's happening, why it's a problem, and what you can do about it. This is a common issue for many developers. Keep reading for a detailed explanation of the bug. It's a real head-scratcher!

The Bug: Unwanted Deep Links

The core of the problem lies in how Branch handles link clicks after sharing. Normally, when a user shares a Branch link and then actually clicks it, everything works as expected. However, on Samsung devices, things go sideways. After the user shares the link using share_plus and returns to the app without clicking the link, Branch incorrectly identifies the session as a link click. This triggers a deep link event, even though the user didn't interact with the link. Consequently, the app receives incorrect deep link data and the session callbacks are messed up. It's like the app thinks the user clicked the link when they didn't, causing a series of unexpected events.

This behavior is specific to Samsung devices. Other Android devices seem to handle the share action and app resume correctly, behaving like a normal app resume rather than a deep link open. This makes it a real pain to debug because you can't easily replicate the issue on other phones. You'll spend hours trying to figure out what's going wrong, thinking it's something in your code, only to realize it's a device-specific glitch. This really can mess up your analytics and user experience, making it seem like people are clicking your links when they're not.

Steps to Reproduce the Issue

Okay, let's break down how to trigger this bug. Here's a step-by-step guide:

  1. Create a Branch Link: Make sure you've set up your Branch link correctly in your Flutter app and on the Branch dashboard. This is the foundation for everything.
  2. Share the Link with share_plus: Use the share_plus package in your Flutter app to share the Branch link via any sharing option (e.g., SMS, email, social media). The core is using the share_plus package, which is really common.
  3. Share Action Completed and Return: After sharing the link, the user needs to return to your app without clicking the shared link. This is the crucial step.
  4. Observe the Incorrect Behavior: You'll notice that the app behaves as if the link was clicked. Branch will report clicked_branch_link = true in the session data, and you'll likely receive deep link parameters even though the user didn't open the app via the link.

The Expected Outcome vs. What Happens

Let's clarify what should happen versus what actually happens:

What Should Happen (Ideal Scenario):

  • After sharing the Branch link and returning to the app without clicking it, Branch should not initiate a new session. It shouldn't treat this as a link click at all.
  • The clicked_branch_link parameter should be false, indicating that the user didn't open the app via the link.
  • The app should trigger a standard app resume flow, just like it would if the user had simply closed the app and reopened it.
  • No deep link parameters should be present because there's no link interaction.

What Actually Happens (Samsung Bug):

  • A new Branch session is triggered, as if a link was clicked.
  • clicked_branch_link is incorrectly set to true.
  • The app receives deep link data, even though the link wasn't opened.
  • This results in incorrect session callbacks, potentially messing up your user attribution and analytics.

Why This Matters: The Impact

This bug isn't just a minor inconvenience; it can significantly impact your app in several ways. The most important thing here is the quality of the information of user acquisition.

  • Incorrect Attribution: You might attribute a user to a Branch link when they actually didn't click it. This skews your data and makes it hard to understand where your users are coming from. The main problem is that it makes your data useless, as you cannot rely on it.
  • Flawed Analytics: Your app's analytics might be inaccurate, reporting inflated link click numbers and potentially misrepresenting the success of your campaigns. Because you don't know who clicked the link or not.
  • User Experience Issues: Receiving incorrect deep link data could lead to unexpected behavior in your app. Your users might be directed to the wrong places, leading to frustration and a poor user experience. What's even worse? It breaks the user experience.
  • Wasted Efforts: You might spend a lot of time and effort debugging issues that aren't actually problems in your code, but rather device-specific quirks.

Technical Details: Plugin Version and Device Information

  • Plugin Version: The bug was observed in Branch SDK version 8.10.0, but it might affect other versions as well.
  • Flutter Version: The reported issue was tested on Flutter version 3.35.5, but other versions might be affected too.
  • Android Devices: The problem is exclusively present on Android devices, particularly Samsung models. The exact models reported include the Samsung S21 and S22, but it's likely that other Samsung devices are also affected. The main thing is that it is a Samsung-only issue.

Code Snippets and Context

Here are some code snippets and context from the original bug report to help you understand the issue better.

SlayApp.kt: This is the application class in the example code, where Branch is initialized. You'll see Branch.getAutoInstance(this) being used. Make sure your Branch initialization is correct. The initialization is very important for the SDK to work properly. Any wrong config will lead to this issue.

package com.slay.org.app

import io.flutter.app.FlutterApplication
import com.snap.corekit.SnapKit
import android.util.Log
import io.branch.referral.Branch

class SlayApp : FlutterApplication() {
    override fun onCreate() {
        super.onCreate()

        try {
            SnapKit.initSDK(this)
        } catch (e: Exception) {
            Log.e("SlayApp", "SnapKit init failed", e)
        }

        Branch.enableLogging()
        Branch.getAutoInstance(this)
    }
}

android/app/build.gradle: This is the build file where you'll find your app's dependencies, including Branch and the share_plus package. Double-check your dependencies to ensure everything is set up correctly. This config is super important.

// ...
dependencies {
    // ...
    implementation 'io.branch.sdk.android:library:5.20.3'
}

AndroidManifest.xml: This file includes your app's permissions and intent filters. Make sure you've correctly configured your Branch intent filters for deep linking. Especially, check for the Branch key.

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    package="com.slay.org.app">
    <!-- ... -->
    <application
        android:name="com.slay.org.app.SlayApp"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="Slay"
        android:allowBackup="false"
        android:usesCleartextTraffic="true"
        android:resizeableActivity="false"
        android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true">
        <!-- ... -->
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|keyboard|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|locale|layoutDirection|fontScale|screenLayout|density|uiMode"
            android:enableOnBackInvokedCallback="true"
            android:exported="true"
            android:hardwareAccelerated="true"
            android:launchMode='singleTask'
            android:theme="@style/LaunchTheme"
            android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize">
            <!-- ... -->
            <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="slay" android:host="snapkit"/>
            </intent-filter>
            <!-- Branch URI Scheme -->
            <intent-filter>
                <!-- If utilizing $deeplink_path please explicitly declare your hosts, or utilize a wildcard(*) -->
                <!-- REPLACE `android:scheme` with your Android URI scheme -->
                <data
                    android:host="open"
                    android:scheme="slay" />
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
            </intent-filter>
            <!-- Branch App Links - Live App -->
            <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
                <data
                    android:host="0wkmj.app.link"
                    android:scheme="https" />
                <data
                    android:host="0wkmj-alternate.app.link"
                    android:scheme="https" />
            </intent-filter>
            <!-- Branch App Links - Test App -->
            <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
                <data
                    android:host="0wkmj.test-app.link"
                    android:scheme="https" />
                <data
                    android:host="0wkmj-alternate.test-app.link"
                    android:scheme="https" />
            </intent-filter>
            <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
                <data
                    android:host="login-callback"
                    android:scheme="io.supabase.flutter" />
            </intent-filter>
            <!--<meta-data
                android:name="flutter_deeplinking_enabled"
                android:value="false" />-->
        </activity>
        <!-- ... -->
    </application>
</manifest>

MainActivity.kt: This is your main activity where you initialize Branch. Make sure you are using the correct onStart and onNewIntent methods. Pay attention to how the Branch.sessionBuilder is used to handle the deep linking. Double-check this to make sure you are doing it properly.

package com.slay.org.app

import android.content.Intent
import android.os.Bundle
import io.flutter.embedding.android.FlutterActivity
import io.branch.referral.Branch

class MainActivity : FlutterActivity() {

    override fun onStart() {
        super.onStart()

        // Correct Branch initialization for Flutter + singleTask
        Branch.sessionBuilder(this)
            .withCallback(branchListener)
            .withData(intent?.data)
            .init()
    }

    override fun onNewIntent(intent: Intent) {
        super.onNewIntent(intent)
        setIntent(intent)

        // If Branch instructs to re-open a new session
        val forceNew = intent.getBooleanExtra("branch_force_new_session", false)

        if (forceNew || intent.data != null) {
            Branch.sessionBuilder(this)
                .withCallback(branchListener)
                .withData(intent.data)
                .reInit()
        }
    }

    private val branchListener = Branch.BranchReferralInitListener { params, error ->
        if (error != null) {
            println("Branch Init Error: ${error.message}")
        } else {
            println("Branch Params: $params")
        }
    }
}

Potential Workarounds and Solutions

While there's no perfect fix for this Samsung-specific bug, here are some potential workarounds:

  • Device Detection: Implement device detection to specifically handle Samsung devices differently. This might involve checking the device model and, if it's a Samsung device, modifying how you handle the Branch session or deep link data. This is not the perfect solution, but is a temporary fix.
  • Manual Session Handling: If you can identify when a share action is completed and the user returns without clicking the link, you might try manually resetting the Branch session or filtering the deep link data. You could use a flag to track if the app was opened via the share sheet. Be careful when working with the Branch SDK.
  • Alternative Sharing Methods: Consider using alternative sharing methods that might not trigger the same issue. Test different sharing options to see if they behave correctly on Samsung devices.
  • Report to Branch: Report this bug to Branch support. They might be aware of the issue and provide a fix or further guidance. They might ask for more information.
  • Wait for a Branch SDK Update: Keep an eye out for updates to the Branch SDK. The issue might be addressed in a future release.

Conclusion

This Samsung-specific bug is a real nuisance for Flutter developers using Branch and share_plus. It can lead to inaccurate data, skewed analytics, and potential user experience issues. By understanding the bug, how to reproduce it, and the potential workarounds, you can mitigate its impact and ensure that your app's analytics and user experience remain accurate. Remember to stay updated on the latest Branch SDK versions and be ready to adapt to device-specific quirks. Good luck, guys, and happy coding!