iOS Linking getInitialURL() always null

🐛 Bug Report

I can’t get the deep link url that was called when my app is started on iOS. Tried with Linking.getInitialUrl() promise and by listener addEventListener('url'...) None of these methods return the initial url.

When the app is in background, the listener addEventListener('url', ...) is working well, and we can get the url. But when the app is launched via a deeplink, we don’t have it.

I tried on React Native 0.53.3 it’s working via getInitialUrl() and listener. I tried on React Native 0.59.4 not working.

To Reproduce

1. Add URL type to info.plist.

2. Add this to your AppDelegate.m :

#import <React/RCTLinkingManager.h>
...
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application openURL:(NSURL *)url
  sourceApplication:(NSString *)sourceApplication annotation:(id)annotation
{
  return [RCTLinkingManager application:application openURL:url
                      sourceApplication:sourceApplication annotation:annotation];
}

3. and just to test, update your App.js to look like this :

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import {
  Platform,
  StyleSheet,
  Text,
  View,
  Linking
} from 'react-native';

type Props = {};
export default class App extends Component<Props> {
  componentDidMount() {
    Linking.getInitialURL().then((url) => { console.log('1', url) })
    Linking.addEventListener('url', this.handleOpenURL);
  }
  componentWillUnmount() {
    Linking.removeEventListener('url', this.handleOpenURL);
  }
  handleOpenURL(event) {
    console.log('2', event.url);
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <View style={styles.container}>
        <Text style={styles.welcome}>
          Welcome to React Native!
        </Text>
      </View>
    );
  }
}

Expected Behavior

I expect to get the initial URL called via deeplink via getInitialUrl or listener handler.

Environment

info
  React Native Environment Info:
    System:
      OS: macOS 10.14.4
      CPU: (8) x64 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6820HQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
      Memory: 205.05 MB / 16.00 GB
      Shell: 5.3 - /bin/zsh
    Binaries:
      Node: 11.11.0 - /usr/local/bin/node
      Yarn: 1.15.2 - /usr/local/bin/yarn
      npm: 6.7.0 - /usr/local/bin/npm
      Watchman: 4.9.0 - /usr/local/bin/watchman
    SDKs:
      iOS SDK:
        Platforms: iOS 12.2, macOS 10.14, tvOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2
      Android SDK:
        API Levels: 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
        Build Tools: 23.0.1, 24.0.1, 25.0.0, 25.0.2, 25.0.3, 26.0.1, 26.0.2, 26.0.3, 27.0.3, 28.0.3
        System Images: android-19 | Google APIs ARM EABI v7a, android-19 | Google APIs Intel x86 Atom, android-23 | Google APIs Intel x86 Atom, android-25 | Google Play Intel x86 Atom, android-27 | Google APIs Intel x86 Atom
    IDEs:
      Android Studio: 3.3 AI-182.5107.16.33.5264788
      Xcode: 10.2/10E125 - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
    npmPackages:
      react: 16.8.3 => 16.8.3
      react-native: 0.59.4 => 0.59.4
    npmGlobalPackages:
      create-react-native-app: 1.0.0
      react-native-git-upgrade: 0.2.7

Thanks for your time 😉

[jsellam]

Hi, In my project with react-navigation 3.9.1 and react-native 0.59.5 deep linking don’t work on ios simulator when “Debug JS remotely” is enabled, but work well when the debug is disabled. Could you try getInitialURL() without debug mode ?

[alangumer]

On Android getInitialURL() works as expected, the issue is on iOS, url always comes up null. react-native 0.59.x