diff --git a/detox/ios/Detox/DetoxManager.m b/detox/ios/Detox/DetoxManager.m
index cccc249192..44b84b9cb4 100644
--- a/detox/ios/Detox/DetoxManager.m
+++ b/detox/ios/Detox/DetoxManager.m
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ - (void) websocketDidReceiveAction:(NSString *)type withParams:(NSDictionary *)p
 	}
 	else if([type isEqualToString:@"openURL"])
 	{
-		NSURL* URLToOpen = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:params[@"url"]];
+		NSURL* URLToOpen = [NSURL URLWithString:params[@"url"]];
 		
 		NSParameterAssert(URLToOpen != nil);
 		
diff --git a/detox/src/client/Client.js b/detox/src/client/Client.js
index cdcc5c2374..6617453130 100644
--- a/detox/src/client/Client.js
+++ b/detox/src/client/Client.js
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ class Client {
     await this.sendAction(new actions.CurrentStatus());
   }
 
+  async openURL(params) {
+    await this.sendAction(new actions.openURL(params));
+  }
+
   async execute(invocation) {
     if (typeof invocation === 'function') {
       invocation = invocation();
diff --git a/detox/src/client/actions/actions.js b/detox/src/client/actions/actions.js
index 0b6814d52a..f4b41f791c 100644
--- a/detox/src/client/actions/actions.js
+++ b/detox/src/client/actions/actions.js
@@ -89,6 +89,16 @@ class SendUserNotification extends Action {
   }
 }
 
+class openURL extends Action {
+  constructor(params) {
+    super('openURL', params);
+  }
+
+  async handle(response) {
+    this.expectResponseOfType(response, 'openURLDone');
+  }
+}
+
 class CurrentStatus extends Action {
   constructor(params) {
     super('currentStatus', params);
@@ -111,6 +121,7 @@ module.exports = {
   Invoke,
   ReloadReactNative,
   Cleanup,
+  openURL,
   SendUserNotification,
   CurrentStatus
 };
diff --git a/detox/src/devices/Device.js b/detox/src/devices/Device.js
index 5e1208559c..4edf3ca427 100644
--- a/detox/src/devices/Device.js
+++ b/detox/src/devices/Device.js
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ class Device {
     let additionalLaunchArgs;
     if (params.url) {
       additionalLaunchArgs = {'detoxURLOverride': params.url};
+      if(params.sourceApp) {
+        additionalLaunchArgs['detoxSourceAppOverride'] = params.sourceApp;
+      }
     } else if (params.userNotification) {
       additionalLaunchArgs = {'detoxUserNotificationDataURL': this.deviceDriver.createPushNotificationJson(params.userNotification)};
     }
@@ -67,8 +70,12 @@ class Device {
     await this.deviceDriver.reloadReactNative();
   }
 
-  async openURL(url) {
-    await this.deviceDriver.openURL(this._deviceId, url);
+  async openURL(params) {
+    if(typeof params !== 'object' || !params.url) {
+      throw new Error(`openURL must be called with JSON params, and a value for 'url' key must be provided. example: await device.openURL({url: "url", sourceApp: "sourceAppBundleID"}`);
+    }
+
+    await this.deviceDriver.openURL(this._deviceId, params);
   }
 
   async shutdown() {
diff --git a/detox/src/devices/DeviceDriverBase.js b/detox/src/devices/DeviceDriverBase.js
index 355a098fb2..5dae4918d5 100644
--- a/detox/src/devices/DeviceDriverBase.js
+++ b/detox/src/devices/DeviceDriverBase.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class DeviceDriverBase {
     return await Promise.resolve('');
   }
 
-  async openURL() {
+  async openURL(params) {
     return await Promise.resolve('');
   }
 
diff --git a/detox/src/devices/IosDriver.js b/detox/src/devices/IosDriver.js
index 6431dea199..cd1b39f528 100644
--- a/detox/src/devices/IosDriver.js
+++ b/detox/src/devices/IosDriver.js
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ class IosDriver extends DeviceDriverBase {
     await super.sendUserNotification({detoxUserNotificationDataURL: notificationFilePath});
   }
 
+  async openURL(deviceId, params) {
+    this.client.openURL(params);
+  }
+
   async setURLBlacklist(urlList) {
     await this.client.execute(GREYConfiguration.setURLBlacklist(urlList));
   }
diff --git a/detox/src/devices/SimulatorDriver.js b/detox/src/devices/SimulatorDriver.js
index dc28c1c318..427ba3dd70 100644
--- a/detox/src/devices/SimulatorDriver.js
+++ b/detox/src/devices/SimulatorDriver.js
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@ class SimulatorDriver extends IosDriver {
     await this._fbsimctl.terminate(deviceId, bundleId);
   }
 
-  async openURL(deviceId, url) {
-    await this._fbsimctl.open(deviceId, url);
-  }
-
   async shutdown(deviceId) {
     await this._fbsimctl.shutdown(deviceId);
   }
diff --git a/detox/test/e2e/n-deep-links.js b/detox/test/e2e/n-deep-links.js
index ced3f7d42d..c0a26d2a3e 100644
--- a/detox/test/e2e/n-deep-links.js
+++ b/detox/test/e2e/n-deep-links.js
@@ -6,10 +6,16 @@ describe.only('Deep Links', () => {
     await expect(element(by.label(url))).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  it('device.openURL(url) should', async () => {
+  it('device.openURL({url: url}) should', async () => {
     const url = 'detoxtesturlscheme://such-string';
     await device.relaunchApp();
-    await device.openURL(url);
+
+    await device.openURL({url: url});
     await expect(element(by.label(url))).toBeVisible();
   });
 });
+
+
+async function timeout(ms) {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/detox/test/index.ios.js b/detox/test/index.ios.js
index 34c8577092..cac2f08db7 100644
--- a/detox/test/index.ios.js
+++ b/detox/test/index.ios.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class example extends Component {
   componentWillMount() {
     PushNotificationIOS.addEventListener('notification', (notification) => this._onNotification(notification));
     PushNotificationIOS.addEventListener('localNotification', (notification) => this._onNotification(notification));
-    Linking.addEventListener('url', (url) => this._handleOpenURL(url));
+    Linking.addEventListener('url', (params) => this._handleOpenURL(params));
   }
 
   render() {
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ class example extends Component {
     this.setState({notification: notification.getAlert()});
   }
 
-  _handleOpenURL(url) {
-    this.setState({url: url});
+  _handleOpenURL(params) {
+    this.setState({url: params.url});
   }
 }