diff --git a/native/android/app/src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml b/native/android/app/src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml
index 71977d943..f6a479e78 100644
--- a/native/android/app/src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/native/android/app/src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -1,14 +1,28 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <manifest
   xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
 >
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW"/>
 
     <application
         android:usesCleartextTraffic="true"
         tools:targetApi="28"
         tools:ignore="GoogleAppIndexingWarning">
         <activity android:name="com.facebook.react.devsupport.DevSettingsActivity" android:exported="false" />
+        <!-- this is configured according to
+        https://github.com/expo/fyi/blob/main/setup-android-uri-scheme.md
+        -->
+        <activity
+          android:name=".MainActivity"
+          android:exported="true"
+          android:launchMode="singleTask">
+            <intent-filter>
+              <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
+              <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
+              <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
+              <data android:scheme="comm"/>
+            </intent-filter>
+        </activity>
     </application>
 </manifest>
diff --git a/native/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/native/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index fad67d9ca..0ed58d30c 100644
--- a/native/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/native/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -1,75 +1,69 @@
 <manifest
   xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
   package="app.comm.android"
 >
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" tools:node="remove" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_MEDIA_LOCATION" />
 
   <application
     android:name=".MainApplication"
     android:allowBackup="false"
     android:label="@string/app_name"
     android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
     android:theme="@style/AppTheme"
     android:networkSecurityConfig="@xml/network_security_config"
     android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true"
   >
     <service
         android:name=".CommNotificationsHandler"
         android:exported="false">
       <intent-filter>
         <action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT" />
       </intent-filter>
     </service>
     <service android:name="io.invertase.firebase.messaging.RNFirebaseBackgroundMessagingService" />
     <activity
       android:name=".MainActivity"
       android:launchMode="singleTask"
       android:label="@string/app_name"
       android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenLayout|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|uiMode"
       android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize"
       android:exported="true"
       android:screenOrientation="portrait"
-    >
-      <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
-        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
-        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
-        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
-      </intent-filter>
-    </activity>
+    />
     <activity
       android:name=".SplashActivity"
       android:launchMode="singleTop"
       android:theme="@style/SplashTheme"
       android:label="@string/app_name"
       android:noHistory="true"
       android:screenOrientation="portrait"
       android:exported="true"
     >
       <intent-filter>
         <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
         <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
       </intent-filter>
     </activity>
     <meta-data
       android:name="com.google.firebase.messaging.default_notification_icon"
       android:resource="@drawable/notif_icon"
     />
     <meta-data android:name="google_analytics_adid_collection_enabled" android:value="false" />
   </application>
   <queries>
     <intent>
       <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
       <data android:scheme="rainbow" />
     </intent>
   </queries>
 </manifest>