PDA Deep Links - iOS

Information on how to use deep links on iOS.

Deep links are a way to open the TornPDA app from a different app, or a link on the web. In PDA, you can use them to launch TORN pages in the PDA browser without having to navigate manually or copy/paste the url.

How do I use them?

You can manually activate a deep link using the custom URL protocol, by removing the https:// at the start of the current webpage and replacing it with tornpda://

iOS allows webpages to register that their app has an app that should be launched when a link is opened, and TORN has specified that TornPDA should be used for all TORN links. If you have the app and wish to toggle this behaviour, the steps to change this is below:

  1. Open this page in Safari: This needs to be done in safari, not in any other browser, or it may not work properly.
  2. Hold down on the link here: This should open a "preview" window which preloads the page, with options listed below it. You'll see options such as "Open", "Open in New Tab" and "Open in Torn PDA".
  3. Select "Open": this tells your system that you want to open www.torn.com links in your browser, and not the PDA app. Going forward, TORN links will not be launched in PDA until you reverse this (hold down and select Open in Torn PDA).

You may have to repeat these steps for other subdomains (wiki.torn.com, api.torn.com if you use it, etc).

What about that annoying banner up top?

For users who prefer to use Safari, unfortunately there is no effective way to remove the banner from the top of the screen at the time of writing. If you're desperate, your options are as follows:

  • Add TORN to your homepage: Navigate to TORN in Safari and press the share button. Select "Add to Home Screen", which will add the TORN icon to your homescreen (it appears similar to an app). This "app" is essentially Safari without any of the Safari UI, just a naked webview.
  • Try a Safari Extension: Try install a Safari extension to remove it. At the time of writing, I could not find any extensions that successfully remove this banner but if you find one please let me know, I'll make a list of working ones.
  • Use a different browser: Try using a different browser, as the top banner appears on Safari only. Chrome is often picked as the next-best option.
  • Give PDA another try: PDA is a great way to play TORN on mobile, and has a lot of features that are not available on the TORN website. If you have any constructive criticism on why the app isn't your preferred method to play, please let the developer know on the forum thread here.