Link clickability

This page explains how SMS link detection typically works on iOS and Android, what happens when a URL doesn’t include http:// or https://, and how to format links to improve CTR.

iOS

iOS uses Apple’s built-in data detection (Data Detectors) to recognize links in message text. When a URL is recognized, it becomes tappable; standalone URLs may also show a preview card.

Reliable format

• ✅ Always tappable: https://mia.tel (explicit scheme)

No-scheme URLs can be inconsistent

• ⚠️ Domain-only text like example.com is often recognized, but recognition may depend on iOS heuristics and the TLD.

• ⚠️ Less common TLDs may remain plain text unless you add https://.

iOS recognized TLDs list : see the table here - TLDs recognized by iOS.

Recommendation for iOS: always send full URLs with https:// (example: https://example.com).

An example of a tappable and untappable link

Android

Android SMS apps commonly rely on built-in linkification utilities (for example, Linkify / URL patterns). Many apps can detect both:

• full URLs like https://www.mia.tel

• and domain-only text like mia.tel

However, behavior may vary by Android version and by the SMS app.

Typical behavior in SMS apps

• ✅ https://mia.tel → tappable (reliable)

• ✅ mia.tel → often tappable (depends on the SMS app)

Even if mia.tel is clickable without https:// on many Android devices, use https:// to keep behavior consistent across iOS and Android.

Comparison table

Message text	iOS (SMS / iMessage)	Android (SMS apps)
https://mia.tel	Clickable (reliable)	Clickable (reliable)
example.com	Often clickable, but not guaranteed for all TLDs	Often clickable (depends on SMS app)
www.example.com	Often clickable	Often clickable

Recommendations to improve CTR when sending links

1. Always send full URLs with https://

   • Best cross-platform reliability (iOS + Android)

2. Use one canonical format everywhere

   • Prefer https://… over “domain-only” URLs

3. Avoid punctuation immediately after the URL

   • Prefer https://example.com over https://example.com.

4. Keep links short and clean

   • Avoid line breaks inside the URL

   • Avoid wrapping URLs in quotes/brackets when possible

5. Test on real devices before a major send

   • iPhone (SMS / iMessage)

   • Android (your top devices / SMS apps)