diff --git a/server/db/seed.js b/server/db/seed.js
index 1269d84..78ed7e8 100644
--- a/server/db/seed.js
+++ b/server/db/seed.js
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ const DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
     'future news, screenshots, guides, and community notes as the world comes online.',
   contact_email: brand.contactEmail,
   site_title: brand.name,
+  // Android App Links opt-in — off until an admin enables it (docs/android/APP_LINKS.md).
+  mobile_app_links_enabled: 'false',
 }
 
 // Starter wiki sections (editable later via the admin panel).
diff --git a/server/src/app.js b/server/src/app.js
index 79c464b..69020b1 100644
--- a/server/src/app.js
+++ b/server/src/app.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ require('dotenv').config()
 const swaggerUi = require('swagger-ui-express')
 
 const apiRouter = require('./router/api.router')
+const wellKnown = require('./router/wellKnown.controller')
 const brand = require('./config/brand')
 const createLogger = require('./utils/logger')
 const { applyTrustProxy, trustProxyDebug } = require('./utils/trustProxy')
@@ -143,6 +144,12 @@ app.get(
 app.use('/api', apiRouter)
 app.use('/api', (req, res) => res.status(404).json({ message: 'Not found' }))
 
+// ── /.well-known ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Android App Links verification file at the web root (M9 follow-up). Mounted
+// before the SPA catch-all so it returns JSON, not the index shell. 404s unless
+// the admin has enabled App Links for this shard (docs/android/APP_LINKS.md).
+app.get('/.well-known/assetlinks.json', wellKnown.assetlinks)
+
 // ── Client SPA ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // Serve the built React app if present; otherwise show a placeholder so the
 // server is usable API-only before the frontend phase.
diff --git a/server/src/model/settings/settings.model.js b/server/src/model/settings/settings.model.js
index 1b9a605..979d8b2 100644
--- a/server/src/model/settings/settings.model.js
+++ b/server/src/model/settings/settings.model.js
@@ -54,6 +54,22 @@ async function isGameAccountSignupEnabled() {
   return GAME_SIGNUP_OFFER.includes(await getGameSignupMode())
 }
 
+// Android App Links opt-in (M9 follow-up). When on, the shard auto-serves
+// /.well-known/assetlinks.json and the mobile SSO bridge additionally accepts the
+// self-origin https://<host>/mobile/callback redirect. Stored as the string
+// 'true'/'false'; default off. See docs/android/APP_LINKS.md.
+const MOBILE_APP_LINKS_KEY = 'mobile_app_links_enabled'
+
+// Fail-closed: any read error (e.g. DB unavailable) reports "disabled" so a
+// transient fault can never open the https redirect path or serve assetlinks.json.
+async function isMobileAppLinksEnabled() {
+  try {
+    return String(await settingsDb.get(MOBILE_APP_LINKS_KEY)) === 'true'
+  } catch {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
 async function get(key) {
   return settingsDb.get(key)
 }
@@ -113,6 +129,11 @@ async function getPublic() {
   // that we use the first NTFY_ALLOWED_ORIGINS entry (a device endpoint must sit
   // on an allowed origin anyway). Never NTFY_BASE_URL — it may be internal-only.
   out.push = { ntfyUrl: publicNtfyUrl() }
+  // Whether this shard has opted into Android App Links (M9 follow-up). Lets a
+  // native client tell whether it may request the https App Link redirect_uri
+  // before doing so (the server would otherwise reject an unallowlisted one). The
+  // custom-scheme callback works regardless of this flag.
+  out.mobileAppLinks = String(all[MOBILE_APP_LINKS_KEY]) === 'true'
   return out
 }
 
@@ -142,4 +163,6 @@ module.exports = {
   GAME_SIGNUP_MODES,
   getGameSignupMode,
   isGameAccountSignupEnabled,
+  MOBILE_APP_LINKS_KEY,
+  isMobileAppLinksEnabled,
 }
diff --git a/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.controller.js b/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.controller.js
index b6d4bff..5edaeff 100644
--- a/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.controller.js
+++ b/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.controller.js
@@ -512,6 +512,15 @@ async function updateSettings(req, res) {
   ) {
     return res.status(400).json({ message: 'Invalid game_account_signup value' })
   }
+  // App Links toggle is a boolean stored as a 'true'/'false' string; accept a real
+  // boolean or those two strings and normalize, reject anything else.
+  if (settings.MOBILE_APP_LINKS_KEY in updates) {
+    const v = updates[settings.MOBILE_APP_LINKS_KEY]
+    if (v !== true && v !== false && v !== 'true' && v !== 'false') {
+      return res.status(400).json({ message: 'Invalid mobile_app_links_enabled value' })
+    }
+    updates[settings.MOBILE_APP_LINKS_KEY] = String(v === true || v === 'true')
+  }
   // The homepage teaser is rich text (HTML) from the shared editor — sanitize it
   // against the same allowlist as post/wiki bodies so a stored value is safe (the
   // client re-sanitizes on render as defense in depth).
diff --git a/server/src/router/v1/auth/mobileSso.controller.js b/server/src/router/v1/auth/mobileSso.controller.js
index fdb1299..e8dbe5c 100644
--- a/server/src/router/v1/auth/mobileSso.controller.js
+++ b/server/src/router/v1/auth/mobileSso.controller.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const users = require('../../../model/users/users.model')
 const activity = require('../../../model/activity/activity.model')
 const mobileSessions = require('../../../model/mobileSessions/mobileSessions.model')
 const mobileBridge = require('../../../model/mobileAuthBridge/mobileAuthBridge.model')
+const settings = require('../../../model/settings/settings.model')
 const sessionService = require('../../../auth/session.service')
 const ssoState = require('../../../auth/ssoState')
 const ssoController = require('./sso.controller')
@@ -37,6 +38,32 @@ const REDIRECT_ALLOWLIST = new Set(
 
 const PROVIDER_ID_RE = /^[a-z0-9-]+$/
 
+// This shard's own https App Link callback. Built from APP_BASE_URL (preferred, so
+// it is never derived from an attacker-set Host header) or, failing that, the
+// request's own origin. Path is the fixed /mobile/callback the app's autoVerify
+// intent-filter is registered for.
+function selfOriginCallback(req) {
+  const base = (process.env.APP_BASE_URL || '').trim().replace(/\/+$/, '')
+  const origin = base || `${req.protocol}://${req.get('host')}`
+  return `${origin}/mobile/callback`
+}
+
+// redirect_uri is valid if it is one of the statically-allowlisted app callbacks
+// (default the custom scheme), OR — only when the admin has enabled App Links —
+// this shard's own https://<host>/mobile/callback. EXACT match in both cases; the
+// App Links entry is additive and never narrows the custom-scheme allowlist.
+async function isAllowedRedirect(redirectUri, req) {
+  if (REDIRECT_ALLOWLIST.has(redirectUri)) return true
+  // App Links only ever add an https callback, so skip the settings lookup for
+  // anything that can't be one — custom-scheme rejections stay fast and DB-free.
+  if (typeof redirectUri === 'string' && redirectUri.startsWith('https://')) {
+    if (await settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled()) {
+      return redirectUri === selfOriginCallback(req)
+    }
+  }
+  return false
+}
+
 // Append query params to an (already-allowlisted) app callback URI.
 function appDeepLink(redirectUri, params) {
   const sep = redirectUri.includes('?') ? '&' : '?'
@@ -63,7 +90,7 @@ async function start(req, res) {
     // redirect_uri must be exactly one of the registered app callbacks. Validate
     // it FIRST — everything else can only be surfaced to the app by redirecting
     // to a trusted callback, so an untrusted one is a hard 400 (no redirect).
-    if (!REDIRECT_ALLOWLIST.has(redirectUri)) {
+    if (!(await isAllowedRedirect(redirectUri, req))) {
       log.warn('mobile sso start: redirect_uri not in allowlist', { ip: req.ip })
       return res.status(400).json({ message: 'Unrecognized redirect URI.' })
     }
diff --git a/server/src/router/wellKnown.controller.js b/server/src/router/wellKnown.controller.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..795fd69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/router/wellKnown.controller.js
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+// ── /.well-known/* — web-root, non-API endpoints ──────────────────────────
+//
+// Android App Links verification file (M9 follow-up, docs/android/APP_LINKS.md).
+// Served at the web root (outside /api/v1) because Android's Play/verifier fetch
+// it from a fixed path. It is gated by the `mobile_app_links_enabled` admin
+// setting: off ⇒ 404 (the app stays on the custom-scheme callback for this shard).
+//
+// The asserted package + fingerprint are constants of the ONE published app, not
+// per-shard: the same binary is verifiable against every shard that opts in.
+
+const settings = require('../model/settings/settings.model')
+const log = require('../utils/logger')('well-known')
+
+// Fixed identity of the published app. Overridable via env for a white-label build
+// that ships under a different package / release cert.
+const PACKAGE = (process.env.MOBILE_APP_PACKAGE || 'com.runicgateway.app').trim()
+
+// Release signing-cert SHA-256 fingerprint(s), comma-separated. Multiple entries
+// support cert rotation (old + new) and a debug + release cert during testing.
+// Colons and case are normalized to the upper-cased, colon-separated form the
+// Digital Asset Links spec expects.
+function fingerprints() {
+  return (process.env.MOBILE_APP_CERT_SHA256 || '')
+    .split(',')
+    .map((s) => s.trim().toUpperCase())
+    .filter(Boolean)
+}
+
+let warnedNoFingerprint = false
+
+// GET /.well-known/assetlinks.json
+async function assetlinks(req, res) {
+  // #swagger.ignore = true   (web-root verification file, not part of the API surface)
+  const enabled = await settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled() // fail-closed on any error
+  const fps = fingerprints()
+
+  // Off, or on-but-unconfigured, both 404 — serving a statement with no fingerprint
+  // asserts nothing and would only mislead the verifier.
+  if (!enabled || fps.length === 0) {
+    if (enabled && fps.length === 0 && !warnedNoFingerprint) {
+      warnedNoFingerprint = true
+      log.warn(
+        'mobile_app_links_enabled is ON but MOBILE_APP_CERT_SHA256 is unset — assetlinks.json 404s',
+      )
+    }
+    return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Not found' })
+  }
+
+  // The OS/verifier re-fetch this; it changes only on a cert rotation.
+  res.set('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=3600')
+  return res.json([
+    {
+      relation: ['delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls'],
+      target: {
+        namespace: 'android_app',
+        package_name: PACKAGE,
+        sha256_cert_fingerprints: fps,
+      },
+    },
+  ])
+}
+
+module.exports = { assetlinks }
diff --git a/server/test/appLinks.test.js b/server/test/appLinks.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7d5bb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/test/appLinks.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+// Android App Links (M9 follow-up, docs/android/APP_LINKS.md): the web-root
+// assetlinks.json verification file and the mobile-SSO redirect allowlist's
+// additive https App Link entry. Model is stubbed so these are DB-free.
+process.env.JWT_SECRET = process.env.JWT_SECRET || 'test-secret'
+process.env.SECRET_ENC_KEY = process.env.SECRET_ENC_KEY || 'unit-test-enc-key'
+process.env.DB_HOST = '127.0.0.1'
+process.env.DB_PORT = '59999'
+
+const { test, beforeEach, after } = require('node:test')
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict')
+
+const wellKnown = require('../src/router/wellKnown.controller')
+const mobileSso = require('../src/router/v1/auth/mobileSso.controller')
+const ssoCtrl = require('../src/router/v1/auth/sso.controller')
+const settings = require('../src/model/settings/settings.model')
+const bridge = require('../src/model/mobileAuthBridge/mobileAuthBridge.model')
+const db = require('../src/utils/db')
+
+after(() => db.close())
+
+function mockRes() {
+  return {
+    statusCode: 200,
+    body: null,
+    headers: {},
+    redirectedTo: null,
+    status(c) { this.statusCode = c; return this },
+    json(b) { this.body = b; return this },
+    set(k, v) { this.headers[String(k).toLowerCase()] = v; return this },
+    redirect(u) { this.redirectedTo = u; return this },
+  }
+}
+
+let savedEnabled
+beforeEach(() => {
+  savedEnabled = settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled
+  delete process.env.APP_BASE_URL
+  delete process.env.MOBILE_APP_CERT_SHA256
+  delete process.env.MOBILE_APP_PACKAGE
+})
+
+function restore() {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = savedEnabled
+}
+
+// ── /.well-known/assetlinks.json ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+test('assetlinks: 404 when App Links are disabled (even if a fingerprint is set)', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => false
+  process.env.MOBILE_APP_CERT_SHA256 = 'AB:CD:EF'
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await wellKnown.assetlinks({}, res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 404)
+  } finally {
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('assetlinks: 404 when enabled but no fingerprint configured', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => true
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await wellKnown.assetlinks({}, res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 404)
+  } finally {
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('assetlinks: enabled + fingerprint → Digital Asset Links statement', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => true
+  process.env.MOBILE_APP_CERT_SHA256 = 'ab:cd:ef, 11:22:33'
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await wellKnown.assetlinks({}, res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200)
+    assert.ok(Array.isArray(res.body))
+    const stmt = res.body[0]
+    assert.deepEqual(stmt.relation, ['delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls'])
+    assert.equal(stmt.target.namespace, 'android_app')
+    assert.equal(stmt.target.package_name, 'com.runicgateway.app')
+    // normalized to upper-case, comma-split into multiple fingerprints
+    assert.deepEqual(stmt.target.sha256_cert_fingerprints, ['AB:CD:EF', '11:22:33'])
+    assert.match(res.headers['cache-control'], /max-age=3600/)
+  } finally {
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('assetlinks: asserts the fixed published package name', async () => {
+  // PACKAGE is resolved at module load from MOBILE_APP_PACKAGE (default below); a
+  // white-label build sets that env at boot. Here we assert the shipped default.
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => true
+  process.env.MOBILE_APP_CERT_SHA256 = 'AB:CD'
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await wellKnown.assetlinks({}, res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200)
+    assert.equal(res.body[0].target.package_name, 'com.runicgateway.app')
+  } finally {
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+// ── mobile SSO redirect allowlist ────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const CUSTOM = 'runicgateway://auth/callback'
+
+function startReq(redirectUri) {
+  return {
+    query: { provider: 'google', code_challenge: 'chal', state: 'st', redirect_uri: redirectUri },
+    ip: '1.2.3.4',
+    protocol: 'https',
+    get: () => 'play.shard.com',
+  }
+}
+
+test('allowlist: https self-origin callback is accepted when App Links are enabled', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => true
+  bridge.startSession = async () => ({ sessionId: 'sess-1' })
+  const savedRedirect = ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp
+  ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp = async (req, res) => { res.redirect('https://idp/authorize'); return true }
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await mobileSso.start(startReq('https://play.shard.com/mobile/callback'), res)
+    assert.equal(res.redirectedTo, 'https://idp/authorize')
+    assert.notEqual(res.statusCode, 400)
+  } finally {
+    ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp = savedRedirect
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('allowlist: the same https callback is REJECTED when App Links are disabled', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => false
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await mobileSso.start(startReq('https://play.shard.com/mobile/callback'), res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 400)
+    assert.equal(res.redirectedTo, null)
+  } finally {
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('allowlist: a foreign https host is rejected even when App Links are enabled', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => true
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await mobileSso.start(startReq('https://evil.example.com/mobile/callback'), res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 400)
+  } finally {
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('allowlist: wrong path on the self-origin is rejected (exact match, not prefix)', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => true
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await mobileSso.start(startReq('https://play.shard.com/mobile/callback/../evil'), res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 400)
+  } finally {
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('allowlist: the custom scheme is always accepted, App Links off', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => false
+  bridge.startSession = async () => ({ sessionId: 'sess-1' })
+  const savedRedirect = ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp
+  ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp = async (req, res) => { res.redirect('https://idp/authorize'); return true }
+  try {
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await mobileSso.start(startReq(CUSTOM), res)
+    assert.equal(res.redirectedTo, 'https://idp/authorize')
+  } finally {
+    ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp = savedRedirect
+    restore()
+  }
+})
+
+test('allowlist: APP_BASE_URL is preferred over the request Host header', async () => {
+  settings.isMobileAppLinksEnabled = async () => true
+  process.env.APP_BASE_URL = 'https://canonical.shard.com/'
+  bridge.startSession = async () => ({ sessionId: 'sess-1' })
+  const savedRedirect = ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp
+  ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp = async (req, res) => { res.redirect('https://idp/authorize'); return true }
+  try {
+    // Host header says play.shard.com, but APP_BASE_URL pins the origin.
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await mobileSso.start(startReq('https://canonical.shard.com/mobile/callback'), res)
+    assert.equal(res.redirectedTo, 'https://idp/authorize')
+    // A callback matching the (spoofable) Host header but NOT APP_BASE_URL is rejected.
+    const res2 = mockRes()
+    await mobileSso.start(startReq('https://play.shard.com/mobile/callback'), res2)
+    assert.equal(res2.statusCode, 400)
+  } finally {
+    ssoCtrl.redirectToIdp = savedRedirect
+    restore()
+  }
+})