App Clips and Instant App Experiences

What an App Clip is

Apple's App Clip documentation defines it as "a lightweight version of your app that offers access to some of the app's functionality." Its example is a donut shop: the full app handles ordering, favourites, rewards and offers, while the App Clip "offers only the functionality to order donuts," so it launches and finishes fast.

Apple describes two kinds. The first is an in-the-moment task, such as renting a bike or paying for a meal. The second is a demo: Apple says App Clips that meet certain conditions "can be larger in size, making it possible to offer an App Clip that's a demo version of your app," for example the first level of a game or one free workout.

An App Clip is not a separate product. You build it as an extra target inside the full app's Xcode project and ship it with that app. Apple notes you can offer several App Clip experiences "but you have to package them as a single App Clip target," and that "the full app must include the same functionality as the App Clip."

App Clips also do not stay around. Apple's Human Interface Guidelines say they "don't appear on the Home screen" and that "the system removes an App Clip after a period of inactivity."

How people open an App Clip

People do not find App Clips by browsing the App Store. Apple's page on configuring the launch experience says people "discover it when and where they need it," and lists these invocations:

• Scanning an App Clip Code, NFC tag or QR code at a physical location.
• Tapping a location-based suggestion from Siri Suggestions, or a link in the Maps app.
• Tapping a Smart App Banner on a website in Safari, or the App Clip card that appears there (iOS 15 or later).
• Tapping a link shared in Messages (as a text message only), or a link in an email or on a website.
• Tapping an App Clip preview or link in another app (iOS 17 or later).

Each invocation carries a URL. The system checks that it matches what you set in App Store Connect, picks the matching App Clip experience, fills in the card, and passes the URL to the App Clip so it can show the right screen, for example the menu for table 12. Every App Clip needs a default App Clip experience; Apple says App Store Connect then generates a default App Clip link "without requiring any changes to your server." Advanced experiences, such as tying an App Clip to a physical location or serving many businesses from one App Clip, need extra setup. Apple also warns that sometimes the App Clip "doesn't receive an invocation URL upon launch," so your code has to handle that case.

Size limits

Apple's page on choosing the right functionality sets the maximum size of the uncompressed App Clip binary:

• iOS 15 and earlier: 10 MB.
• iOS 16 and earlier: 15 MB.
• iOS 17 and later: 100 MB, with additional requirements.

The 100 MB limit applies only if the App Clip supports digital invocations (such as your website or Spotlight) and not physical ones like App Clip Codes, QR codes or NFC tags, if it is used where "a reliable internet connection is likely," and if it does not support iOS 16 or earlier. Apple adds that the App Clip demo link generated in App Store Connect can use the 100 MB limit and still support physical invocations. To check the size, Apple says to export the App Clip and read the uncompressed size of each variant in the App Thinning Size Report, as described in Creating an App Clip with Xcode.

Staying under the limit is the minimum. The design guidelines say "the smaller your App Clip, the faster it will launch," and advise against downloading extra data, "which can take away the feeling of immediacy."

What App Clips cannot do

App Clips use the same frameworks as full apps, but Apple lists firm limits that protect privacy and keep them light:

• No background work. "App Clips can't perform background activity," including background networking or keeping Bluetooth connections open while not in use.
• No tracking. They cannot ask for permission to track people, and the device name and identifierForVendor both "return an empty string."
• Limited location. No continuous location; the When In Use permission "resets automatically the next day at 4:00 a.m."
• Limited data. No access to data from apps such as Calendar, Contacts, Files, Health, Messages, Reminders and Photos, or to motion and fitness data. An App Clip can share data only with its own full app.
• No Face ID. Apple says App Clips "can't use Face ID," though Touch ID works through the LocalAuthentication framework.

For in-the-moment App Clips (not demos), Apple says to keep some features for the full app, including in-app purchases, settings, custom URL schemes, promoting other apps and review requests. Notifications are short-lived too: the guidelines say App Clips can "schedule and receive notifications for up to 8 hours after launch," and you must ask explicitly if the task runs longer than a day, such as a car rental reminder.

Because the system can delete an App Clip and its data between uses, Apple says "don't rely on the availability of data you previously stored on the device." Store logins securely off the device; the guidelines suggest Sign in with Apple.

The App Clip card and codes

Before an App Clip opens, people see the App Clip card, filled from the metadata in App Store Connect. The guidelines set the rules: a 1800x1200 px PNG or JPEG header image without transparency, a title of no more than 30 characters, a subtitle of no more than 56 characters, and an action button verb of View, Play or Open. Apple asks for photography or graphics rather than a screenshot of the interface, and no text in the image, because it "isn't localizable."

For physical places, Apple calls App Clip Codes "the best way for people to discover your App Clip," since the design is recognisable and people can scan it with the Camera or, for codes with NFC, tap it. Put a short call to action next to every code, such as "Scan to [describe what people can do with your App Clip]." The guidelines also cover printing, colour and minimum size if you put codes on posters, tables or products.

Launching from your website

Your website is one of the easiest entry points. Apple's page on supporting invocations from your website and the Messages app explains that you add the Smart App Banner meta tag with your App Clip's bundle ID. Adding the app-id parameter lets the banner open the full app where App Clips are not available, and the app-clip-display parameter shows the App Clip card in Safari on iOS 15 or later. The same setup means a link to that page shared in Messages can launch the App Clip.

Apple also asks for an og:image meta tag on each page that shows the banner, which most sites already have for social previews (see our guide to social sharing previews). For advanced App Clip experiences, and for iOS versions older than 16.4, you also associate the App Clip with your domain, the same kind of server file used for universal links. Our app deep links guide covers that file and how to test it.

Moving people to the full app

When someone installs the full app, Apple says it "replaces the App Clip," and from then on every invocation "launches the full app instead." So the full app must handle the same URLs and features. The guidelines add: "don't require people to log in again when they transition from the App Clip to the app."

The App Clip card already links to the App Store page. Inside the App Clip you can show an overlay to install the full app, but Apple asks you to wait until "someone completes a task or reaches a natural pause," not to ask repeatedly, and not to use push notifications to ask. For demos, "let people fully experience the demo before asking them to install the full app." If you need a smooth first run after install, our guide to app onboarding covers it.

Android: Google Play Instant has ended

Google Play Instant was Android's version of the idea. Its overview describes a "Try now" button in the Play Store and an app size limit of 15 MB. The same page now carries a warning: "Google Play Instant will no longer be available. Starting December 2025, Instant Apps cannot be published through Google Play, and all Google Play services Instant APIs will no longer work." It adds that users "will no longer be served Instant Apps by Play using any mechanism."

Google's Google Play Instant page carries the same notice and says it encourages developers "to refer users to their regular app or game, using deeplinks to redirect them to specific journeys or features when relevant." In practice that leaves two routes on Android: send people to the Play listing for the full app and use App Links to open the right screen after install, or let them do the task on the web. A progressive web app needs no install at all and runs on both platforms, which makes it a fair alternative to an App Clip when the task is simple.

A checklist

• Pick one task (or one demo) the App Clip does from start to finish, without forcing an install.
• Decide on invocations first: physical codes and NFC, your website, Maps, Messages. That choice decides your size limit.
• Check the uncompressed size of each variant in the App Thinning Size Report.
• Read the invocation URL on launch, and handle a launch without one.
• Set up the default App Clip experience and card: 1800x1200 image, 30-character title, 56-character subtitle.
• Add the Smart App Banner tag with the App Clip bundle ID and an og:image on the pages that should launch it.
• Make the full app handle every App Clip URL and carry the login over.
• On Android, plan App Links into the full app or a web flow; Google Play Instant is no longer an option.

Frequently asked questions

What is an App Clip on iPhone?

Apple calls it a lightweight version of your app that offers some of its functionality, such as paying for parking or ordering food, without installing the full app. It can also be a demo, such as the first level of a game. It ships inside the full app's App Store submission.

How big can an App Clip be?

Apple lists the maximum uncompressed binary size as 10 MB for iOS 15 and earlier, 15 MB for iOS 16 and earlier, and 100 MB for iOS 17 and later if the App Clip supports only digital invocations, is used where a reliable connection is likely and does not support iOS 16 or earlier.

Do App Clips stay on the phone?

No. App Clips do not appear on the Home screen, and Apple says the system removes an App Clip after a period of inactivity, along with its data. Store anything important, such as login details, off the device.

Is Google Play Instant still available?

No. Google's documentation says that starting December 2025, Instant Apps cannot be published through Google Play, all Google Play services Instant APIs no longer work, and Play no longer serves Instant Apps to users. Google recommends sending users to the regular app with deep links.

Can an App Clip send push notifications?

Yes, within limits. Apple's guidelines say App Clips can schedule and receive notifications for up to 8 hours after launch. For longer tasks you must explicitly request permission, and Apple asks you not to send promotional notifications.

Thinking about an App Clip or a lighter way into your app? We build iPhone and Android apps together with the backend, API and admin dashboard behind them. See our mobile app development service and all our services, or email [email protected].