How to Shorten a Link on iPhone and Android

You're on your phone, you've copied a link that's far too long to send, and every guide you find assumes you're sitting at a computer. Here's how to do it from the device in your hand — including a trick that turns it into a two-tap job forever after.

The quick way (works on both)

You don't need an app.

1. Copy the link. In most apps: tap the share icon, then Copy link.
2. Open your browser and go to hide.link.
3. Long-press the input box and tap Paste.
4. Tap Shorten.
5. Tap the copy button next to your new link.

Roughly fifteen seconds, and the short link is on your clipboard ready to paste anywhere.

iPhone: make it a two-tap Shortcut

If you shorten links regularly, the Shortcuts app can put this in your share sheet — so you shorten a link from inside whatever app you're using, without switching.

1. Open Shortcuts → + → Add Action.
2. Search for Get Contents of URL and add it.
3. Point it at your shortener's API endpoint and set your API key in the headers — the developer docs have the exact format.
4. Add Copy to Clipboard as the final action.
5. In the shortcut's settings, enable Show in Share Sheet.

Now: share icon → your shortcut → short link on the clipboard. It's genuinely the fastest way to do this on iOS, and it works from Safari, Notes, Messages, anywhere.

If setting up an API key sounds like more than you want, ignore this section — the browser method is perfectly fine.

Android: add it to your home screen

Android doesn't need Shortcuts to make this quick:

1. Open hide.link in Chrome.
2. Tap the ⋮ menu → Add to Home screen.

It now behaves like an app — one tap from your home screen straight to the shortener form, no typing a URL.

Why bother shortening on mobile at all?

• SMS charges by length. Long links push a message into a second segment, which costs more and looks messy.
• Long links break when pasted. Some apps wrap or truncate them, producing a dead link.
• They look like spam. A 120-character URL with tracking parameters makes people hesitate.
• You get click data. Sharing something for work? A short link tells you if anyone opened it.
• You can fix it later. Sent the wrong page to a group chat? Repoint the short link instead of sending an apology.

Worth doing while you're there

• Add a custom alias so the link means something: /menu rather than a random string. See what is a vanity URL?
• Grab the QR code — most shorteners generate one automatically, useful if you're about to show your screen to someone.
• Sign in if you want the link saved and tracked. Anonymous links work, but you can't edit or measure them afterwards.

Common problems

The paste option isn't appearing. The link probably didn't copy. Go back and use the app's share icon rather than trying to select the text manually.

It says the URL is invalid. Check it starts with https://. Some apps copy a display title instead of the actual link.

The short link doesn't work. Test it in a private/incognito tab before sending it to anyone — always worth the extra five seconds.

Give it a go

Copy a link, open hide.link on your phone, and paste. That's the whole thing — and now you know how to make it faster next time.

Related reading: How to shorten a URL · Shorten links automatically with an API