Flare

Flare

Shorten links and redirect to the right app

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You share a YouTube link on Instagram, but it opens in the in-app browser instead of YouTube. Frustrating, right? Flare fixes this. Our Direct Links open in the right app automatically. Shorten, share, and let Flare handle the rest for a seamless experience.
Flare gallery image
Flare gallery image
Flare gallery image
Flare gallery image
Flare gallery image
Free
Launch tags:
Social Media•Marketing•Tech
Launch Team / Built With

What do you think? …

Alex McCain
Maker
📌
Hello, Product Hunt Community! 👋 I’m Alex, founder of Flare. Ever shared a link on Instagram, only to have it open in the in-app browser instead of where it should? A YouTube link that doesn’t open in the YouTube app, or a regular web link stuck inside a social media browser? Annoying, right? 😤 That’s exactly why we built Flare—a smart link generator that ensures your links open in the right app, every time. 🚀 What is Flare? Flare isn’t just a URL shortener. It automatically detects the right destination and ensures a seamless experience for your users. ✅ Shorten any link instantly ✅ YouTube links open in YouTube—not a social media app’s in-app browser ✅ Web links open in the browser—not trapped in an in-app browser ✅ Frictionless experience—users get where they need to go instantly ✅ Built-in analytics—track user devices and location for every link 🔥 Why Flare? Most short links just redirect—Flare redirects intelligently and gives you insights. 💡 No more annoying in-app browsers 📊 Analytics for every link—see device types and user locations 🔗 Better engagement and user experience ⚡ 100% free for the Product Hunt community! 🎯 Use Cases Flare is perfect for: ✅ Content creators ensuring links open in the right app for seamless viewing ✅ Businesses & marketers improving click-through rates by directing users correctly ✅ E-commerce stores preventing checkout issues caused by in-app browsers ✅ Anyone tired of links opening in the wrong place while gaining insights into their audience What's Next: We’re launching Persona AI next! 🎯 It’s an AI-powered campaign evaluation tool that helps users refine their social media strategies. 📢 Soon, You’ll Be Able To: ✅ Upload your campaign plan via Excel or enter details manually ✅ AI personas—marketing expert, casual audience member, or industry critic—analyze your content ✅ Get feedback on tone, engagement potential, and effectiveness ✅ Optimize posts before publishing with AI-driven insights ✅ Track performance with built-in analytics and historical comparisons 🚀 Be the first to try it! Stay tuned. Huge thanks to the Product Hunt community—you motivate us! 🚀 😍 Try Flare now: https://flareb2b.com We’d love your feedback — share your thoughts at flareb2b@gmail.com
Alex McCain
Maker

@masump Hi Masum, Flare ensures that each link opens in the most relevant app by using app associations.


We support custom apps and integrate them upon request.

Alex McCain
Maker

@abod_rehman Hi Abdul, Great question! Flare is designed to work across all major social media platforms, but so far, We’ve tested it most extensively on Instagram and native browsers. While it should work smoothly on other platforms as well, there may be edge cases we haven’t encountered yet. If you run into any issues, I’d love to hear your feedback so we can keep improving! 🚀😊

Nika

What is the exceptional difference compared to bitly?

Alex McCain
Maker

@busmark_w_nika Hey Nika! Thanks for the question. So, Bitly is simply a URL shortener. It shortens links and provides a compact version. Flare goes beyond that by not only shortening URLs but also intelligently redirecting users. For standard links, we seamlessly redirect them from the in-app browser to their native browser (Chrome on Android, Safari on iOS). For YouTube links, we ensure they open directly in the YouTube app, and for Product Hunt links, we take users to the Product Hunt app if installed; otherwise, we open the link in their native browser for a seamless experience.

Alex McCain
Maker

@busmark_w_nika I'm posting this small video to showcase how it works on YouTube Links: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LtKIMf712at2tWGzr9VeO18_NKv_EdYY/view?usp=sharing

Nika

@alexmccain Thank you, Alex :) I am gonna to watch it and observe. :)

Alex McCain
Maker

@busmark_w_nika Thanks, Nika! 😊 Appreciate you taking the time to check it out. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions. I’d love to hear your feedback!

Nika

@alexmccain also, could a user choose where to open the link? Whether in the app or in browser?

Stefano Monteduro
How annoying is it when a link opens in an in-app browser, especially for services where you’re logged in? I assume you have a database with the most popular deep links. It would be cool if there were a form where users could submit missing deep links (under your approval, obviously). PS: I tried to create an Instagram link, but clicking on it took me to the Flare page in the browser and did nothing else. Here is the link: https://flareb2b.com/8mw0z
Alex McCain
Maker

@stemonte Great points! We know how frustrating in-app browsers can be, especially when they don’t retain logins.


That’s exactly why Flare seamlessly redirects users to the right app or their native browser for a smoother experience.


We currently handle a wide range of popular services, and your idea of a submission form for missing deep links is fantastic—we’ll definitely integrate it!


As for the Instagram link issue, that shouldn’t be happening. Let me check and get back to you ASAP. Thanks for bringing it to our attention! 🚀

Alex McCain
Maker

@stemonte Hey Stefano, I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused. This was due to a small error on our end but we have updated the platform and now it is redirecting. The error was due to browser's pop up and redirection blocking. But it is now resolved and it is working.


Whenever you share flare links and share Instagram links we have made sure it goes to the Instagram page. Additionally, we have added the functionality to redirect to the Instagram app rather than continuing in the native browser. So any time a user clicks on this link via browser then, they immediately are sent to the Instagram app.