Android users puzzled by Google’s 'search.app' links

Could allow Google to slurp more data

A recent update to Android's Google app has introduced a puzzle: links shared from the app are now prefixed with an unknown "search.app" domain.

The move has raised questions and concerns among users who were accustomed to the previous link structure. While some think it could be a new feature, others worry it might indicate malware issues.

On 6th November, Google released an update (version 15.44.27.28.arm64) for its Android app. Since then, users have noticed that any link viewed in the Google app's built-in Chromium browser and shared externally is prefaced with "search.app."

"Recently (few days ago), I noticed that each link shared from the Google in-app web browser uses the 'search.app' domain," wrote Reddit user danilopiazza.

"For example, trying to share the link to the Reddit front Page, I get: https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2F&utm_campaign=...&utm_source=..."

"Is this a new feature from the Google app?"

Another user responded, "It seems like it. I'm getting this too. At first I thought I was somehow infected with some kind of malware, or somehow some setting unbeknownst to me got changed."

While the functionality of "search.app" remains unknown, BleepingComputer suggested that it may operate as a URL redirector, similar to existing services like Twitter's t.co or Google's own g.co.

This redirection allows Google to glean valuable user data on how links are being shared from its app, including user preferences and referring platforms like social media.

Additionally, the "search.app" domain could potentially offer Google increased security by allowing them to block access to malicious or compromised websites shared within the app.

Attempts to directly access search.app landed users on an "Invalid Dynamic Link" page displaying a logo for Firebase, a mobile development platform Google acquired in 2014.

Firebase Dynamic Links are scheduled for decommissioning by August 2025, adding another layer of intrigue to the case.

While investigations suggest the "search.app" URLs are currently safe and managed by Google, the lack of official documentation and absence from public changelogs for Android and Chromium projects raise red flags.

Some users reported encountering older "search.app" links with a different URL structure (e.g., https://search[.]app/ddc8Ap3W8nySXJ7bA) in social media posts from June 2024.

This suggests the domain might have had a previous life before its current iteration.

While the mystery remains unsolved, users who want to share a link without the "search.app" prefix have two options: