I'm reading the Google Play Install Referrer in an Expo + React Native app using expo-application's Application.getInstallReferrerAsync(). The referrer comes back correctly when the app is installed while the Play Store is signed into a personal @gmail.com account, but comes back empty when installed while signed into a managed (Google Workspace) account.
To be precise about what "personal" vs "managed" means here: it's the Google account that's active in the Play Store app at the moment Install is tapped, not the device owner, and not any other account that happens to be added on the device.
Environment:
- Expo SDK: 56.0.12
- expo-application version: 56.0.3
- react-native version: 0.85.3
- Build type: EAS build
- Play track: Internal testing
Code:
import * as Application from 'expo-application'; ... const referrer = await Application.getInstallReferrerAsync(); console.log('Install referrer:', referrer); // DEBUG ... // Handling for navigating to the targeted page
Steps to reproduce:
- Tap a deep link that opens the app's Play Store listing (internal testing track).
- Install the app.
- Open the app from the Play Store.
- Read the referrer with
getInstallReferrerAsync()on first launch. - Should navigate to the targeted page if successfully read non empty referrer params.
I have tried the above flow numerous times on the same device with both the gmail and work account (non gmail) in play store and every time, referrer was empty when read through the work account flow, and non empty and being redirected to the target page in case of gmail account flow.
What I've already checked:
- No mention of this in Expo's or Google's official Install Referrer documentation.
- One blog post mentions this behavior in a single line, with no explanation: https://proandroiddev.com/play-install-referrer-library-android-b99536530ca4
Is this expected behavior, as in tied to how the Play Install Referrer API handles managed/Android Enterprise Play accounts. Or is this a bug/anomaly? Links to any official or unofficial reference explaining this would help a lot.
Thanks!
