Deploy from an install link

Deploy your app to users by sending an install link.

How does a user install your app with the install link? The link points to a page with instructions depending on the combination of platform and web browser they're using.

Chrome and Firefox on Android

Chrome has features that allow AppSheet to detect whether it is installed on a user's device, greatly simplifying the installation process. First, the user is taken to a page like this:

Chrome and Firefox on Android

If AppSheet is already installed, tapping Install will open the app you shared (Driver Dispatch in this example) and create a shortcut to your app on the user's home screen.

If AppSheet is not already installed, tapping Install will take the user to the following page:

Screen if AppSheet is not already installed

Tapping Go will open the Play Store, where the user can install AppSheet. When the user opens AppSheet for the first time, they'll be taken to your app and a shortcut to it will be placed on their home screen.

Chrome fallback to old install experience

On some older phones, AppSheet cannot automatically create shortcuts for you, so the user has the option to create it using a different approach: on the install page, in the bottom right, tap on the gray text that says Having issues with creating shortcuts? Then tap on the green Old Install button as shown in the following figure.

 

Try the old install experience

After that, the user will see a page like the below. Follow the old instructions to create a shortcut.

Page with option to install AppSheet or the Site Scout app

Other browsers on Android

Browsers other than Chrome are less sophisticated, so this process is a bit more complicated. Once the user opens the link, they'll be taken to a page like this:

Page displayed for other browsers on Android

The user is presented with two options: one for when AppSheet is installed, and one for when it isn't. If AppSheet isn't installed, the user should install AppSheet from the Play Store. When the user opens AppSheet, they'll be taken to your app (Driver Dispatch in this example), and a shortcut to the app will be placed on their home screen.

However, if AppSheet is already installed, tapping the second button will launch AppSheet with the correct app and create a shortcut on the home screen.

Chrome and Safari on iOS

The email the user receives will contain a button to install your app.

For Chrome browsers, clicking Install opens the app in a web page.

For Safari browsers, clicking Install will open a web page that describes the app and displays a banner displays that recommends that the user download the AppSheet app. If AppSheet is not already installed, clicking the banner will take the user to the App Store to install AppSheet, then install your app itself. Once your app is installed, the user will be given the option to create a shortcut to it on their home screen, as shown in the following figure.

Dialog prompting to create a shortcut

 

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