TL;DR: When you share a Google Maps location on Instagram or a flyer, it often opens in the in app browser instead of the Maps app, so customers cannot get directions in one tap. OpenUp.to turns your Maps link into a deeplink that opens Google Maps directly, with navigation ready. Free to start, no code, ideal for restaurants, shops, and events.

For any business with a physical location, get directions is one of your most important calls to action. If your map link does not open the Maps app cleanly, you lose foot traffic. Here is the fix.

Why a map link matters for local business?

A customer who taps your location is close to visiting. They want to know where you are and how to get there. The Google Maps app gives them directions, hours, photos, and reviews in one place, and it can start navigation immediately. A web view of a map cannot match that, and on a phone it is clumsy to use.

When you share your location on Instagram, in a Story, or printed as a QR code on a flyer or menu, the goal is simple: open Maps, show my pin, offer directions. The in app browser gets in the way of all three.

Why the link breaks in social apps?

Tap a Google Maps link inside Instagram or TikTok and it tends to open in the in app browser. There the customer sees a basic web map, often without easy navigation, and frequently has to manually copy the address into their own Maps app. Each of those extra steps loses people who were ready to come to you.

How to make your Maps link open the app with OpenUp.to?

1. Copy your Google Maps link for your location or business profile.

2. Paste it into the free deeplink generator on OpenUp.to.

3. OpenUp builds a smart link that opens the Google Maps app on iOS and Android.

4. Use it in your Instagram bio, Stories, and on printed materials as a QR code.

If a customer does not have the Maps app, the link falls back to the web map, so they still find you. Setup is no code and takes under a minute.

Plain link versus deeplink for Google Maps

A real example

A restaurant runs an Instagram Story with a find us button. With a plain link, a hungry follower taps, lands on a web map in the in app browser, cannot easily start navigation, and decides to go somewhere simpler. With a deeplink, the same tap opens Google Maps with the restaurant pinned and directions ready. The follower hits go and arrives twenty minutes later. The story, the audience, and the food were the same. The link decided whether they showed up.

Perfect for QR codes on print

This is where a Maps deeplink shines for local business. Put the same smart link on a QR code and add it to your menu, your shop window, your flyers, or your event signage. Anyone who scans it opens Google Maps with directions to you. It connects your physical marketing to the action you want, a visit, with a single scan.

The bottom line

For a business with a location, the easiest customers to win are the ones already trying to find you. A plain Google Maps link buries directions inside the in app browser and loses some of them. A deeplink from OpenUp.to opens the Maps app directly with navigation ready, works as a QR code on print, and is free to set up in seconds. If you depend on foot traffic, this is a small fix with a direct payoff.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my Google Maps link open in a browser instead of the app? Social apps open links in their in app browser. A deeplink redirects to the Google Maps app instead.

Does this work for Apple Maps too? OpenUp focuses on opening the right app per device, and supports Google Maps directly. The web fallback covers any case where the app is not available.

Is it free? Yes. OpenUp has a free plan, and paid plans start at $8.99 per month.

Can I put it on a printed menu or flyer? Yes. The same smart link works as a QR code for any printed material.

Do I need code? No. OpenUp is no code. Paste your Maps link and get a smart link.

Will it start navigation automatically? It opens Google Maps at your location with directions ready, so the customer can start navigation in one tap.

Last updated: June 2026. Written by the OpenUp.to team.

Internal links: deeplink generator, QR code, why links open in app browsers