Clean Links FAQ

Clean Links is a free utility for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that strips tracking parameters from URLs and reveals the true target behind QR codes and shortened links - so you open only things that you want to, without hidden trackers or redirects.

Cleaning a URL means stripping the tracking parameters and redirect wrappers from a link without changing where it goes. Tags such as utm_source, fbclid, and gclid record who shared the link and what was clicked, and short-link wrappers like bit.ly or t.co hide the real destination until you open them. A clean URL drops that tracking, keeps any parameter the page genuinely needs, and still opens the same content.

Most tracking parameters are now hidden behind redirects such as t.co, l.facebook.com, l.instagram.com, and lnkd.in - you cannot see these parameters until you click. Clean Links automatically handles this for you, saving you from tedious manual work and protecting you from hidden trackers.

Clean Links supports iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices that can run iOS 18.0 or later (iPhone/iPad) or macOS Sequoia or later.

We initially built it for ourselves to avoid getting "quished" and to protect ourselves from tracking-filled links. We later learned that phishing and quishing are affecting a lot of good people, many of them from a technical background, all over the world. So, we decided to release it for everyone and made it completely free.

Clean Links lets you share links from iPhone to Mac using the share sheet. Your iOS device and Mac must have Clean Links installed, iCloud enabled, and be signed into the same Apple account. Links are sent via iCloud sync, so they work even when your Mac is offline or on a different network - the link will appear automatically when your Mac comes online. This is faster than AirDrop, more reliable than Safari tabs, and works with any browser on your Mac. Read our detailed guide on sending links from iPhone to Mac to learn more.

Yes. You can send links to all your Macs as long as you have Clean Links for macOS installed on them and they are signed into the same Apple account. You can disable receiving links in the macOS app's settings if you want to exclude a specific Mac.

Yes. The core sharing functionality is available as an App Intent, making it easy to build cross-device shortcuts and automation.

On iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Clean Links strips known trackers on-device and only makes isolated network requests when a shortlink or redirect has to be resolved. The web cleaner currently uses the Clean Links API so you do not have to download the full rule engine in every browser. In both cases, we do not log the links you clean, attach them to an account, or use tracking cookies to follow your activity.

Yes. When you check a QR code, Clean Links shows you the full, unmasked URL. You get to decide on whether to open it or not. This is unlike the iOS camera app and other paid QR code reader apps, which simply open the link the QR code is pointing to, without your consent. One more thing: while following redirects, Clean Links uses lower level (NSURLRequest) APIs that have a very small attack surface, compared to that of a full blown web browser. Thus, Clean Links is immune to most zero-day exploits that target web browsers. Secondly, the app runs within its own sandbox, which adds another layer of security.

No. By design, Clean Links does not log or store links you clean or check.

The Apple apps clean links on-device. When a shortlink or redirect has to be resolved, your device makes the request in an isolated, cookie-free context with a randomized user agent. The web cleaner currently sends the link to the Clean Links API because shipping the full rule engine to every browser would make the tool heavy and slow. We do not log what you paste, store cleaned links, or tie those requests to an account, and we are working on a WASM version that will move the web cleaner fully into your browser.

Yes. In Clean Links settings (and via Shortcuts), you can disable all network requests for maximum privacy. Automatic Safari navigation cleanup still uses local rules to remove known tracking parameters before pages open. When network requests are disabled, Clean Links still strips known tracking parameters (utm_source, fbclid, gclid, etc.) from URLs but will not follow redirect chains to resolve short links like bit.ly or t.co.

You can create an Apple Shortcut that takes the URL from your clipboard, cleans it, and puts the cleaned link back. For example, download this one-tap shortcut. For even faster access, assign that shortcut to your iPhone's Action button (iPhone 15 Pro and later) so a single press anywhere cleans the clipboard link. You can add Clean Links to your Control Center on iPhone, iPad, and Mac: choose from two actions-"Open App" or "QR Reader." Access these directly in Control Center or on the Lock Screen, or assign them to the Action button for one-tap cleaning from anywhere. You can also open the Clean Links app manually and paste your URL to clean it.

iPhone and iPad show this prompt when you copy a link in one app and then paste it into Clean Links. It is Apple's clipboard permission, not a sign that Clean Links is sending the link through a third-party API or to Numen's servers. If you want Clean Links to stop asking each time, open Settings, find Clean Links, then change "Paste from Other Apps" to "Allow." If you already tapped "Don't Allow" and do not see the prompt again, you can still change the setting there. For screenshots of the prompt and Settings path, see the full guide to allowing paste for Clean Links on iPhone and iPad.

Launch Clean Links from your Home Screen, Shortcut, or Action button on iPhone, iPad, or Mac and point your camera at the code. You'll see the real destination URL before choosing to open it. Clean Links follows any redirects and strips tracking parameters from the final destination-preventing phishing links hidden behind short-link or redirection services.

Absolutely. Paste or share any bit.ly, TinyURL, t.co, or other short link into Clean Links. It unshortens all redirect chains and shows you the final URL before you tap.

Yes. After cleaning a URL, tap "Generate QR" to create a new code you can share completely free of tracking parameters. This is especially handy when you want to share the cleaned link with friends: one tap and they can check your QR code to open the exact same, tracker-free URL. Also useful when you're trying to share content with your Android using friends, without being surveilled by cough cough: What's that app called again? This helps you and your friends avoid getting plastered with ads related to the content that you just shared, for the next week or two.

Yes. Clean Links' system-wide Share Sheet extension on iPhone, iPad, and Mac can be used within Safari, Mail, X (Twitter), Youtube, LinkedIn, or any other app that uses native Share Sheets.

The Clean Links Safari extension has two cleaning modes. Automatic navigation cleanup uses Safari extension rules to strip supported tracking parameters before pages open. The manual page cleaner runs when you tap or click the "Clean Links" button in the extension; it scans the current page, removes supported tracking parameters such as utm_source, fbclid, gclid, and thousands more from links on the page, and shows how many links were cleaned. Everything runs locally. Send to Mac is also built in, so you can send the cleaned page URL to any of your Macs from the extension.

Yes. The Safari extension is included in Clean Links for both iOS and macOS. Both versions can strip supported tracking parameters during Safari navigation before pages open. On Mac, the manual cleaner appears as a toolbar button in Safari. On iPhone and iPad, you access it from Safari's extensions menu. Both versions also clean all links on the current page with a single action and include Send to Mac for sharing cleaned links across your devices.

Clean Links provides App Intents that work with both Apple Shortcuts and Siri. You can build a shortcut that cleans links from your clipboard or anything else. For example, use this "Clean Links" shortcut to grab the link in your clipboard, clean it, and paste the cleaned URL back on to the clipboard.

Most URL cleaners trim only the parameters you can already see in the URL you pasted. They do not follow redirect chains, so trackers hidden behind shortlinks (bit.ly, t.co, lnkd.in) or social wrappers (l.facebook.com, l.instagram.com) slip through. Firefox even keeps an allowlist that lets some major-platform trackers survive. Clean Links goes further: the Apple apps clean on-device, the web cleaner uses the Clean Links API without logs or accounts, and both unwrap redirects, strip trackers at each hop, and show the final destination before you open it. Clean Links also includes a QR scanner, Share Sheet actions, Shortcuts, Siri support, Safari cleanup before pages open, manual Safari page cleaning, and Mac clipboard monitoring. See the full comparison with Link Cleaner for more details.

Works even when your Mac is asleep or out of range, opens links silently in the background, and delivers reliably every time. No connection issues or waiting.

Works from any app with a share sheet, not just Safari. Links open automatically as browser tabs—you can't miss them. No hunting through long lists of synced tabs, and supports any browser on your Mac.

Works from any app, not just Safari. Supports any browser on your Mac without requiring you to keep tabs open on your iOS device.

Links open automatically in your browser—you can't miss them. No searching through accumulated lists, and supports any browser.

Clean Links includes Handoff support when devices are nearby, but also works when your Mac is asleep or out of range. Supports any app with a share sheet and any browser, opens links automatically in the background, and works reliably every time.

Links open automatically—no manual pasting required. Works even when your Mac is asleep or out of range, and delivers instantly.

Links open automatically in your browser without checking messages. Opens silently in the background so you can continue what you're doing.

Links open automatically without checking your inbox. Opens silently in the background and keeps your inbox clean.

Native iOS and macOS apps that work from any share sheet. No additional account required—just install and use.

Works from any app, not just Firefox. Supports any browser on your Mac with fewer taps required.

Works from any app with a share sheet, not just Firefox. Supports any browser without requiring you to keep tabs open on your iOS device.

Clean Links is a completely free app with support for 37 languages, while Hyperduck is a paid app that only supports English. Clean Links automatically supports multiple Macs, includes Mac-to-Mac sharing, in addition to iOS-to-Mac sharing, and provides full link cleanup and deobfuscation beyond simple link sharing.