--- title: "What Are App Clips? iPhone Guide for 2026 | Superapp" description: App Clips are small parts of iPhone apps you can use without installing. How they open, size limits, privacy, how to remove them, and when to build one. image: https://superapp.dev/superapp-logo.png canonical_url: https://superapp.dev/blog/what-are-app-clips md_url: https://superapp.dev/blog/what-are-app-clips.md --- ## App Clips: The Short Answer Superapp, an AI app builder for native iPhone apps, describes App Clips the way Apple does: a small part of an app that opens instantly, without installing the full app, so you can finish one quick task like paying for parking or ordering food. App Clips run on iOS 14 and later, open from QR codes, NFC tags, App Clip Codes, Safari, Messages and Maps, and delete themselves after 30 days without use. > **Quick answer: what are App Clips?** Superapp's short definition: an App Clip is a lightweight slice of an iPhone app that launches in seconds from a code, tag, link or website, lets you complete one task, and then gets out of the way. Apple caps it at 15 MB for most uses, or 100 MB on iOS 17 and later when it only opens from digital links. App Clips can't track you across apps or run in the background, and iOS removes them automatically after 30 days of non-use. If you like it, you can install the full app and your data carries over. ## What is an App Clip on iPhone? An App Clip is a small part of an app that appears exactly when you need it. Apple defines it as a part of an app that is discoverable at the moment it's needed and lets people quickly start and finish a task ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/overview-of-app-clips)). When you trigger one, an App Clip card appears with details about the business and a button to open it. There is no App Store visit and no install screen. Typical uses are short, real-world tasks: paying at a parking meter, ordering at a café table, unlocking a rental scooter or checking in somewhere. Apple's own developer examples include food ordering, food delivery updates and car rentals ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/enabling-notifications-in-app-clips)). App Clips arrived with iOS 14 in 2020. They are not available to children under 13 or to accounts with Ask to Buy turned on. ## How do you open an App Clip? You open an App Clip by scanning, tapping or clicking something the business provides. Apple lists App Clip Codes, NFC tags, a smart App Clip banner in Safari, and suggestions from Siri and Apple Maps ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-al/102093)), plus QR codes, Messages and links in other apps ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/overview-of-app-clips)). | How it opens | What you do | Where you see it | | --- | --- | --- | | Safari banner on the website of a Superapp-built iPhone app | Tap Open in the banner at the top of the page | The app's own website | | App Clip Code | Scan the round code with the Camera, or tap it if it has NFC | Posters, tables, packaging | | QR code | Scan with the Camera | Menus, receipts, signs | | NFC tag | Hold your iPhone near the tag | Parking meters, scooters, doors | | Messages | Tap a shared App Clip link | Texts from friends or businesses | | Apple Maps and Siri | Tap a suggestion | Place cards, Siri suggestions | App Clip Codes are Apple's own round codes. Businesses generate them in App Store Connect, in multiple colors, either scan-only or with an NFC tag built in ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/generate-app-clip-codes)). ## What is the App Clip card, and what are App Clip experiences? The App Clip card is the first thing people see: a sheet with an image, a title, a subtitle and a button such as Open. Developers control it through App Clip experiences in App Store Connect. Each experience includes metadata for the card, an invocation URL and the ways it can be launched ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/overview-of-app-clips)). | Experience type | What it does | Required? | | --- | --- | --- | | Default experience for a Superapp-built iPhone app's App Clip | One card that opens from Safari, Messages, NFC, QR codes and Apple-provided App Clip links | Yes | | Advanced experience | Different cards per URL, multiple domains, physical locations on Maps | No | | App Clip demo link | An Apple-generated link that can use the 100 MB size limit and still work with codes and tags | No | | TestFlight experience | Up to three experiences for beta testers, launched from the TestFlight app | No | Advanced experiences are what let one App Clip serve many businesses, for example a restaurant platform showing each restaurant's own card. They are also required for App Clip Codes. ## Which way of opening an App Clip should you use? Each invocation method suits a different situation. Pick the one that matches where people meet your business. | Method | Pick it when | Skip it when | | --- | --- | --- | | Safari banner or card on a Superapp-built app's website | Most people find you online first | You have no website traffic | | App Clip Code | You want Apple's recognizable code at a counter or on packaging | You want the 100 MB limit, which excludes physical codes | | QR code | People already scan QR codes at your location | Your App Clip only supports digital invocations | | NFC tag | People tap at a fixed spot, like a meter or a scooter | Tags can't be placed securely | | Messages link | Customers share orders or invites with friends | Recipients are unlikely to have the sender saved as a contact | | Apple Maps | You have physical locations people search for | You are online-only | ## App Clip vs full app: what is the difference? An App Clip is a temporary, limited front door to a full app. It must belong to a full app on the App Store, and Apple requires the full app to include the same functionality as its App Clip ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/choosing-the-right-functionality-for-your-app-clip)). | | App Clip | Full app | | --- | --- | --- | | Where it comes from, for a Superapp-built app | Added as a target in Xcode | Generated as native Swift by Superapp | | Install | None; opens instantly | Downloaded from the App Store | | Size | 15 MB, or up to 100 MB in some cases | Much larger allowed | | How long it stays | Removed after 30 days unused | Until you delete it | | Notifications | Up to 8 hours after each launch, unless you grant more | Normal permission | | Background activity | Not allowed | Allowed | | In-app purchases | Reserved for the full app | Allowed | | Tracking across apps | Not allowed | Only with your permission | If you upgrade from an App Clip to the full app, Apple transfers your data to it ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-al/102093)). ## How do you find and remove App Clips? You usually don't need to remove App Clips, because iOS deletes them after 30 days of non-use ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-al/102093)). To block App Clips completely, go to Settings, then Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, then Content Restrictions, tap App Clips and choose Don't Allow. Apple says this deletes any App Clips already on your device. Data an App Clip stored is deleted after 10 days of non-use, or after 30 days if you used Sign in with Apple with it. ## Are App Clips safe? App Clips are more restricted than regular apps, by design. According to Apple's developer documentation, an App Clip ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/choosing-the-right-functionality-for-your-app-clip)): - cannot ask to track you across apps and websites, and gets no device name or vendor identifier - cannot request continuous location; While Using permission resets the next day at 4 a.m. - cannot read your Calendar, Contacts, Photos, Health, Messages, Reminders, Files or motion data - cannot run in the background or share data with any app except its own full app - cannot use Face ID, though it can use Touch ID Apple also says the information shared when you launch one does not reveal which link, tag or code you used ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-al/102093)). The business behind the App Clip can still collect data you give it, like your name or payment, so check its privacy details on the full app's App Store page. ## How big can an App Clip be? App Clips must be small so they open instantly. Apple's limits apply to the uncompressed App Clip after app thinning ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/maximum-build-file-sizes/)). | App Clip setup | Maximum size | | --- | --- | | App Clip for a Superapp-built app, iOS 17 and later, opened only from digital links like your website or Spotlight | 100 MB | | iOS 16 and later | 15 MB | | Earlier than iOS 16 | 10 MB | The 100 MB limit has conditions: no physical invocations such as App Clip Codes, QR codes or NFC tags, people likely to have reliable internet, and no support for iOS 16 or earlier. The App Clip demo link from App Store Connect can also use the 100 MB limit while supporting physical invocations ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/choosing-the-right-functionality-for-your-app-clip)). Many guides still quote 10 MB, which is out of date. ## What happens from the moment you scan to the moment it's gone? An App Clip has a short, predictable life on your iPhone. Every step below comes from Apple's documentation and support pages. 1. You scan a code, tap a tag or tap a link, and the App Clip card appears with an image, a title and a button. 2. You tap the button and the App Clip launches; it receives the invocation URL so it can show the right place, table or vehicle. 3. If the developer enabled it, the App Clip can send you notifications for up to 8 hours after that launch, unless you turned this off on the card. 4. If it asked for your location while in use, that permission resets the next day at 4 a.m. 5. If you stop using it, its stored data is deleted after 10 days, or after 30 days if you signed in with Sign in with Apple. 6. After 30 days without use, iOS removes the App Clip itself. 7. If you install the full app at any point, it replaces the App Clip, and your data can carry over. This is why App Clips feel disposable: they are designed to leave nothing behind unless you choose the full app. ## App Clips for marketers: discovery and measurement App Clips are a discovery channel more than an install channel. They reach people through places ads and App Store search don't: a code on a table, a tag on a scooter, a card in Safari, a suggestion in Apple Maps or Siri, and links friends share in Messages ([Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-al/102093)). Measurement works differently from app installs. App Clips can't use SKAdNetwork, can't show the App Tracking Transparency prompt, and get an empty vendor identifier, so standard install attribution doesn't apply ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/choosing-the-right-functionality-for-your-app-clip)). What you do get is the invocation URL. Practical ways to use it: - Give each location, table or poster its own invocation URL, so you can count launches per place. - When generating App Clip Codes in App Store Connect, you can upload a CSV that appends URL parameters to each code ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/generate-app-clip-codes)). - Track the share of App Clip users who go on to install the full app from your `SKOverlay` prompt. - Keep the full app's App Store page strong, because that is where interested App Clip users end up. ## What can't App Clips do? App Clips trade power for speed. Apple's documentation lists the limits ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/choosing-the-right-functionality-for-your-app-clip)): - No background activity, including background networking. - No useful access to HealthKit, Contacts, EventKit, PhotoKit, CoreMotion, Speech and several other frameworks; they return empty data. - No app extensions, except a widget extension for Live Activities. - No SKAdNetwork attribution and no App Tracking Transparency prompt. - Apple recommends keeping in-app purchases, settings, custom URL schemes and review requests for the full app. - Notifications for up to 8 hours after each launch, unless the user grants full permission ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/enabling-notifications-in-app-clips)). For marketers, the attribution limit matters: because App Clips can't use SKAdNetwork, they don't feed the usual ad-network install attribution. ## Does your app need an App Clip? Most apps don't. An App Clip pays off when people meet your business in the real world or on your website and need to do one thing fast. | Your app | Build an App Clip? | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | A Superapp-built iPhone app for a café, parking, rental or booking business | Yes | One quick task at a physical location is exactly what App Clips are for | | Game you want people to try | Maybe, as a demo | Demo App Clips can use Background Assets to download more content | | Subscription app like a habit tracker | Usually no | Value comes from daily use, which needs the full app | | App that depends on Photos, Health or background work | No | Those frameworks don't work in App Clips | | App with a busy website | Maybe | A Safari banner can open a demo App Clip without an install | ## App Clip ideas by type of business The best App Clips do one thing a customer needs right now. These pairings follow Apple's own examples of ordering, delivery updates and rentals. | Business | App Clip task | Best way to open it | | --- | --- | --- | | Café or restaurant with a Superapp-built ordering app | Order and pay from the table | QR code or App Clip Code on the table | | Parking operator | Pay for a space | NFC tag or code on the meter | | Scooter or bike rental | Unlock and start a ride | NFC tag or code on the vehicle | | Car rental | Check in and get return reminders | Link in the booking email | | Event or venue | Show a ticket or check in | App Clip Code at the entrance | | Game studio | Play a short demo | Safari card on the game's website | ## Decide in 5 questions: should you build an App Clip? 1. Do people meet your business at a physical place or on your website? If neither, skip it. 2. Can the task be finished in a minute or two? If not, people need the full app. 3. Does the task need Photos, Health, Contacts or background work? If yes, it won't work in an App Clip. 4. Will you print codes or tags? If yes, plan for the 15 MB limit, or use the App Clip demo link. 5. Do you have time to keep the App Clip in every app update? If not, it will disappear from the App Store. ## How do you build an App Clip? You build an App Clip in Xcode as an extra target inside your full app's project, sharing code between the two. Apple's documentation covers creating the target, keeping it under the size limit and handling invocation URLs. Then, in App Store Connect, you set up a default App Clip experience and, if you want App Clip Codes, map locations or multiple businesses, advanced experiences ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/overview-of-app-clips)). Every new version of your app must include the App Clip to keep it live. 1. Build and ship the full iPhone app first. 2. Pick the one task the App Clip will do, and keep it inside the size limit. 3. Add an App Clip target in Xcode and share the code it needs. 4. Configure the default App Clip experience in App Store Connect. 5. Add advanced experiences and generate App Clip Codes if you need physical locations. 6. Test the App Clip, then submit it with the next app version. As a disclosure, Superapp is our product, so weigh this accordingly. [Superapp](https://superapp.dev/) generates the full native iPhone app from a plain-English description, in Swift you can export, and offers a Mac version with guided Xcode setup. It does not document App Clip targets as a built-in feature, so you or a developer would add the App Clip in Xcode. Developers comfortable in Xcode can do the whole thing directly with Apple's tools. For getting the full app discovered once it's live, see [App Store optimization](https://superapp.dev/blog/app-store-optimization). ## How do you add an App Clip to your website? You add one HTML meta tag to the page, after associating your website with the App Clip. Apple's documented tag is ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/supporting-invocations-from-your-website-and-the-messages-app)): ```html ``` The `app-id` parameter opens the full app on devices that can't run App Clips, and `app-clip-display=card` shows the App Clip card in Safari on iOS 15 and later. Apple says the banner only appears when all of these are true: - The App Clip is associated with the website. - The tag is in the page's source code. - A default App Clip experience is configured. - A version of the app with an App Clip is published. - The visitor uses Safari or an in-app Safari view without Private Browsing. The same tag makes links to that page open the App Clip from Messages, as long as the recipient runs iOS 14 or later and has the sender saved as a contact. Add an `og:image` meta tag so Messages shows a preview image. If someone dismisses the card, Safari remembers and won't show it again on that site. ## How do you turn App Clip users into full app users? Show an install prompt inside the App Clip, but never make installing a condition of finishing the task. Apple's `SKOverlay` displays an App Store overlay from within the App Clip, and Apple's guidance is explicit: don't require users to install your app to complete a task ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/recommending-your-app-to-app-clip-users)). When someone installs the full app, it replaces the App Clip and receives its invocations. Apple recommends showing what they entered, keeping downloaded data and not making them log in again ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/sharing-data-between-your-app-clip-and-your-full-app)). | Way to carry data over | What it handles | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Sign in with Apple, in a Superapp-built app and its App Clip | Account sign-in without a second login | Apple's recommended option when an account is required | | Shared app group container | Files and assets the App Clip saved | Add the same App Group to both targets | | Shared UserDefaults | Small settings and anonymized IDs | Don't store passwords here | | Keychain | Tokens and other secrets | Shared with the full app from iOS 15.4 | | Public iCloud database | Data every user sees, like a menu | Read-only for App Clips, from iOS 16 | ## How do you test an App Clip before launch? Apple gives developers four testing tools, each for a different stage ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/testing-the-launch-experience-of-your-app-clip)): 1. In Xcode, set the `_XCAppClipURL` environment variable to debug how the App Clip handles an invocation URL. The card doesn't appear in this mode. 2. On a test iPhone, go to Settings, then Developer, then Local Experiences, and register a local experience to see the real card and launch from your own QR codes, NFC tags or App Clip Codes. 3. In TestFlight, configure up to three App Clip experiences for beta testers, who launch them from the TestFlight app. 4. After release, use Settings, then Developer, then Diagnostics in the App Clips Testing section to check the website association, the Smart App Banner and whether the URL fits in an App Clip Code. If a new advanced experience doesn't launch, iOS may be caching the old one; Developer settings include a Clear Experience Cache option. ## App Clips vs Android Instant Apps and mobile websites App Clips are now the main instant-app format on phones. Google's equivalent, Android Instant Apps, launched in 2016, and a notice in Android Studio says Google Play would remove Instant Apps support in December 2025 ([Android Authority](https://androidauthority.com/google-killing-android-instant-apps-3567211)). | Option | Platform | Status in 2026 | | --- | --- | --- | | App Clip for a Superapp-built iPhone app | iPhone, iOS 14 and later | Supported by Apple | | Android Instant Apps | Android | Support removed by Google Play in December 2025 | | Mobile website | Any browser | Always available, but no App Clip card and no built-in path to install the app | For Android users, a fast mobile website is now the practical fallback. ## Common App Clip mistakes - Making people install the full app to finish the task. - Shipping an app update without the App Clip, which removes it from the App Store. - Printing App Clip Codes for an App Clip built for the 100 MB limit, which only allows digital invocations. - Building an App Clip around Photos, Health or background work that it can't access. - Storing passwords in a shared container instead of the keychain or Sign in with Apple. - Forgetting to clear the experience cache when testing new advanced experiences. - Adding the Safari meta tag but never associating the website, so the banner never shows. ## Frequently Asked Questions **What are App Clips on iPhone?** App Clips are small parts of an app that open instantly without installing the full app, so you can finish one task like paying for parking or ordering food. They work on iOS 14 and later. **How do I open an App Clip?** Scan an App Clip Code or QR code with the Camera, tap an NFC tag, tap a banner in Safari, open a link in Messages, or tap a suggestion in Apple Maps or Siri. **How do I delete App Clips?** iOS deletes App Clips automatically after 30 days without use. To block them entirely, go to Settings, Screen Time, Content & Privacy Restrictions, Content Restrictions, App Clips, and choose Don't Allow. **Can kids use App Clips?** No. Apple says App Clips aren't available to children under 13 or to accounts with Ask to Buy turned on; they need the full app instead. **Are App Clips safe?** They are more restricted than full apps. App Clips cannot track you across apps, run in the background, request continuous location or read Photos, Contacts or Health data. The business can still collect data you enter. **How big can an App Clip be?** Up to 15 MB on iOS 16 and later, or 10 MB for earlier versions. On iOS 17 and later, up to 100 MB if it only opens from digital links like a website. **What is an App Clip Code?** A round code from Apple that opens an App Clip. Businesses generate them in App Store Connect, either scan-only or with an NFC tag built in. **Do App Clips cost money?** Opening an App Clip is free. The business may charge for what you buy, but Apple recommends keeping in-app purchases for the full app. **Can App Clips send notifications?** Yes, for up to 8 hours after each launch if the developer enables it, unless you turn it off on the App Clip card. Longer notifications need your explicit permission. **What happens to my data if I install the full app?** Apple transfers your App Clip data to the full app when you upgrade. **Can any app have an App Clip?** Any iPhone app can add one, but it must belong to a full app on the App Store, and the full app must include the same functionality. **How do I make an App Clip for my app?** Add an App Clip target to your app's Xcode project, share the code it needs, configure an App Clip experience in App Store Connect, and ship it with your next app version. **Why do I see an App Clip card in Safari?** The website has added Apple's App Clip meta tag. On iOS 15 and later it can show the card directly; you can choose to view the website instead, and Safari remembers that choice for the site. **Why can't I open an App Clip from a message?** Apple requires iOS 14 or later and that the sender is saved in your Contacts. For SMS messages, you may need to load the link preview first. **Does Android have App Clips?** Not anymore in an equivalent form. Google's Android Instant Apps launched in 2016, and Google Play removed Instant Apps support in December 2025, according to a notice in Android Studio. **Does the full app replace the App Clip?** Yes. When you install the full app, it replaces the App Clip and receives its links and codes. Well-built apps carry over your data and sign-in. **Can an App Clip use Sign in with Apple?** Yes, and Apple recommends it when an App Clip needs an account, because it also lets the full app sign you in without a second login. **How do I add an App Clip banner to my website?** Associate your website with the App Clip, configure a default App Clip experience, and add Apple's apple-itunes-app meta tag with your app ID and App Clip bundle ID. **How do I test an App Clip?** Use the _XCAppClipURL variable in Xcode, a local experience in the iPhone's Developer settings, up to three TestFlight experiences, and App Clip diagnostics after release. **Why doesn't my new App Clip experience launch?** iOS caches App Clip experiences. Clear the experience cache in the iPhone's Developer settings and try again. ## References - [Apple: Overview of App Clips (App Store Connect Help)](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/overview-of-app-clips) - [Apple Support: Learn more about App Clips](https://support.apple.com/en-al/102093) - [Apple: Choosing the right functionality for your App Clip](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/choosing-the-right-functionality-for-your-app-clip) - [Apple: Enabling notifications in App Clips](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/enabling-notifications-in-app-clips) - [Apple: Maximum build file sizes](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/maximum-build-file-sizes/) - [Apple: Generate App Clip Codes](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-app-clip-experiences/generate-app-clip-codes) - [Apple: Supporting invocations from your website and the Messages app](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/supporting-invocations-from-your-website-and-the-messages-app) - [Apple: Recommending your app to App Clip users](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/recommending-your-app-to-app-clip-users) - [Apple: Sharing data between your App Clip and your full app](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/sharing-data-between-your-app-clip-and-your-full-app) - [Apple: Testing the launch experience of your App Clip](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/testing-the-launch-experience-of-your-app-clip) - [Android Authority: Google ends Android Instant Apps](https://androidauthority.com/google-killing-android-instant-apps-3567211) - [Superapp](https://superapp.dev/) - [Superapp: App Store optimization](https://superapp.dev/blog/app-store-optimization) ## Keep reading [Live Activities: What They Are + How to Add Them (2026) Nov 1, 2026](https://superapp.dev/blog/live-activities-what-they-are) [9 Best Ad Management Tools in 2026, by Ad Channel Nov 1, 2026](https://superapp.dev/blog/9-best-ad-management-tools) [Apple Push Notifications: How They Work + Setup Guide (2026) Nov 1, 2026](https://superapp.dev/blog/apple-push-notifications) ## Build iOS apps with AI Turn your ideas into production-ready iOS apps. 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