How to make an Instagram link open in the Instagram app
By Ish, founder, openin.app · Updated September 4, 2026
The reverse problem is just as common: you want people to follow you on Instagram, so you put your profile link in your TikTok bio, a YouTube description or a WhatsApp broadcast. They tap it, get instagram.com in a mini browser, and see a “Log in to follow” wall.
Here’s how to make that link open the Instagram app instead, where they’re already logged in and the follow button is one tap.
The fix, step by step
- 1
In the Instagram app, open your profile, tap the share icon (or the three dots), then Copy link. For a post or reel, use Share, then Copy link.
- 2
Paste it into the box below and tap Create.
- 3
Enter your email. Your openin.app link appears immediately.
- 4
Put that link wherever you were going to put the Instagram link: TikTok bio, YouTube description, WhatsApp status, your website, an email.
- 5
Test it from another app on your phone. The Instagram app should open on your profile.
Why instagram.com links don’t open the app from other apps
Every social app treats an outside link the same way: it opens it in its own built-in browser. A plain instagram.com address gives the phone no reason to launch the Instagram app, so the viewer ends up on the web version, logged out.
An openin.app link tells the phone to open the Instagram app directly, using the same mechanism Instagram uses for its own notifications. If the app isn’t installed, the normal web page loads instead.
Profiles, posts and reels
All three work. A profile link opens your profile in the app; a post or reel link opens that post. If you run several accounts, make one link per profile so each has its own click count.
One page for all your links
If you share more than one thing, claim a bio page at openin.app/@yourname and put every link on it. Each link on the page opens its app, so a follower can go from your TikTok to your Instagram, your YouTube and your Spotify without ever hitting a login wall. It’s free, and it includes a QR code for print and video.
Questions people ask
- Does this work from TikTok?
- Yes. TikTok opens links in its own browser like the others; an openin.app link in your TikTok bio opens the Instagram app directly.
- Does it work from a YouTube description?
- Yes. Tapping the link in the YouTube app on a phone opens the Instagram app. On a desktop computer it opens instagram.com in a normal tab.
- Can I see how many people tapped it?
- Yes. Every link shows a click count on your dashboard; Pro adds which app the taps came from and a day-by-day timeline.
- Will the link ever expire?
- No. Links never expire and keep redirecting, on the free plan too.