ios 14

App Tracking Transparency Opt-In Rate - Monthly Updates

nik — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 08:54:58 +0000

App Tracking Transparency Opt-In Rate - Monthly Updates

By Manoj Balasubramanian, Marketing Analytics at Flurry

nik Thu, 12/16/2021 - 00:54

2022-05-02

Tags

Apple

ios 14

Last Updated May 2, 2022 Updated Monthly

For the past decade, mobile apps have been able to rely on Apple’s Identifier for Advertiser (IDFA) to track users across other companies' apps and websites for targeting and advertising purposes. With Apple's release of iOS 14.5 at the end of April, iOS app developers are now required to request permission to track their users beyond the app in use. With opt-in rates expected to be low, this change is anticipated to impact the entire mobile ecosystem and create challenges for personalized advertising and attribution, impacting the $189 billion mobile advertising industry worldwide.

Flurry Analytics is used in over 1 million mobile applications, providing aggregated insights across 2 billion mobile devices per month. In the below report, we share the monthly opt-in rate as well as the percentage of users with ‘restricted’ app tracking, both in the U.S. and worldwide, following the launch of iOS 14.5.

Our Methodology

Flurry determines opt-in rate as ‘Authorized' divided by ('Authorized' + 'Denied'). Restricted app tracking rate is calculated as 'Restricted' divided by ('Authorized' + 'Denied' + 'Restricted '+ ‘Not Determined’).

These app tracking statuses are defined by Apple, and may be summarized as follows:

‘Authorized’ represents app users who tapped 'Allow Tracking' via the AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) prompt.
‘Denied’ represents two groups of app users, which Apple does not separate:
1. Users who saw the prompt and tapped 'Ask App Not to Track’. These users denied tracking for an app via the ATT prompt.
2. Users who went to iOS Privacy Settings and toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track’ OFF. These users denied tracking for all apps at once, preventing apps from presenting the prompt.
‘Restricted’ represents app users with 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting OFF and DISABLED. Apple disables this setting for devices with Apple IDs associated with minors, for example. These users never have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.
‘Not Determined’ represents app users who have not seen the prompt and who have toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting ON. These users have not been asked yet to select a tracking option and are by default not being tracked.

We calculate the opt-in rate both overall and across apps that have displayed the ATT prompt. We estimate the set of apps that have displayed the ATT prompt by including only apps with more than 1% of active users using iOS 14 versions and above who have authorized tracking. We determine the percentage of users who have authorized tracking as 'Authorized' divided by ('Authorized' + 'Denied' + 'Restricted' + 'Not Determined'). We set a threshold of 1% for the proportion of users who have authorized tracking to exclude internal tests or very limited end-user ATT prompt rollouts.

How do we count app users?

We count the number of Flurry IDs based on the IDFV that are using iOS versions in which the ATT framework is available (iOS 14.0 and above). If a user opts in ('Authorized' tracking) for one app, and opts out ('Denied' tracking) for another app, we consider it as one app user who opts in, and another app user who opts out. In other words, we count app users, not individual users, which means that a single user who selects a tracking option across 2 apps will be counted 2 times.

What do these metrics mean?

Opt-in rate across all apps: Percentage of app users who allow app tracking among app users using iOS 14 versions and above who have chosen to either allow or deny app tracking. Note that denying tracking can be done for a given app via the prompt or for all apps by toggling 'Allow Apps to Request to Track’ OFF in the iOS Privacy Settings. This metric provides an industry-level view into the proportion of app users who have chosen to authorize vs. deny app tracking among all app users who have already selected a tracking option.

Opt-in rate across apps that have displayed the prompt: Percentage of app users who allow app tracking among app users using iOS 14 versions and above who have chosen to either allow or deny app tracking, either directly by going into the iOS Privacy Settings, or when prompted by an app, across apps that have displayed the ATT prompt. This metric is useful for app developers looking to benchmark the opt-in rate of their app as it is calculated specifically across apps that have displayed the prompt.

Restricted app tracking rate: Percentage of app users using iOS 14 versions and above who do not have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.

Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest mobile industry trends.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

The IDFA is Dead

mbenning — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 21:32:01 +0000

The IDFA is Dead

By Peter Farago, Vice President of Flurry

mbenning Fri, 08/06/2021 - 14:32

2021-08-06

Tags

Mobile Insights

ios 14

It’s been about a year since Apple dropped the bombshell that it would deprecate its Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), aiming to bolster consumer privacy. At the same time, this also severely hamstrings how mobile app developers monetize through advertising. The net result of this has been deep-felt industry grief, and we’re still working through the various stages.

First, there was denial. The early chatter was whether Apple was really committed to this. When the company delayed the rollout of their new policy from late 2020 to Spring of 2021, many hoped Apple would ultimately reverse direction. When Apple stayed the course, the conversation quickly shifted to salvaging as much IDFA footprint as possible by maximizing opt-in rates. Some app developers and other companies continue to cite that early opt-in numbers may indicate some glimmer of promise. Unfortunately our data shows the opposite, and more is shared later in this post.

Many in the industry also entered the bargaining stage of grief: Maybe instead of IDFA, we can use fingerprinting? Apple has made it increasingly clear that this isn’t an option. Blocking the use of IP addresses in iOS 14.6 and rejecting some apps that collect IP addresses have started sobering up the ecosystem.

Calling the Time of Death

Rather than continuing to cling tenaciously to a model that depends on individual-level identifiers, it’s time to accept this is no longer possible and move forward. We need to face the fact that the rosiest interpretation of opt-in numbers is both inaccurate and irrelevant. Since Flurry has detected that over 80% of all iOS devices are now upgraded to iOS 14.5 or later, the data is in. And with that, I am calling the IDFA time of death as August 2021.

Data Shows the Flatline

Since the April release of iOS 14.5, the mobile app industry has attempted to read scant tea leaves to predict what things will look like once all Apple users are exposed to App Tracking Transparency (ATT). Some in the industry reported pockets of opt-in numbers as high as 40%.¹ However, Flurry’s broad data set doesn’t support that percentage. Based on aggregated insights from 2 billion mobile devices, Flurry is measuring a worldwide opt-in rate of 25% and a U.S. rate of 17% among only those users who have been exposed to the ATT opt-in prompt.²

When we expand beyond just those devices that received a prompt -- looking at the entire device base -- only 13% are opted in. Here’s how it breaks down:³

3% cannot be asked to be tracked (“restricted” status)⁴
48% have not yet been prompted by apps, putting them into a default not-tracked status⁵
40% have denied tracking via the prompt or the iOS privacy settings⁶

Even if the remaining 48% of users, who haven’t yet been prompted, are asked to accept tracking, it would bring the 9% of all iOS 14+ users who can be tracked up to just 21%.⁷ That final tally would still be too small to support robust user-level targeting and attribution.

With iOS version 14.5+ uptake now at 81% globally, the long-term picture is much clearer.⁸ Check out the chart below which shows iOS SDK adoption across the device-base.

Counting drops of water in the desert

Arguing over the small differences in how we measure ATT opt-in rates is like counting drops of water in a growing desert. Beyond the conclusive data already available, another significant issue is that 29% of users have turned off setting on their devices to “Allow Apps to Request to Track.”¹⁰ This means that many devices will never get a prompt asking for permission within those apps. We estimated this figure by looking at the percentage of users who “denied” tracking across apps when no prompt was actually delivered. Around 3% of iOS 14+ users worldwide have opt-in prompts turned off by default—such as in the case of devices owned by minors.¹¹

And beyond the opt-in trend, we need to acknowledge Apple’s stalwart intentions to follow through on all of this. If Apple doesn’t get privacy managed the way it envisions through its current efforts, we believe it will keep iterating until it is satisfied. Make no mistake, Apple is committed. All you have to do is look at its recent slick prime-time ad which shows how they come to the rescue in a dystopian world where third-party providers shamelessly siphon any and all data from their iPhone users. Apple has made privacy a core brand value proposition.

Accepting a post-IDFA landscape

It’s time to take a cold, hard look at the IDFA writing on the wall. As an industry, we need to accelerate past the depression and anger stages of IDFA grief. We must recognize that things are going to be different now and move to acceptance so that we can figure out how to thrive in a post-IDFA landscape.

There are promising ways to help rebuild audience targeting and addressability now that the data burden has shifted from the demand side to the supply side. In short, app developers need a scalable way to segment and offer access to their users at the cohort level rather than the individual device level. Meaningful monetization is possible for those who can start adjusting now. We have been investing heavily in this area since last year, and are ready to help publishers. We look forward to sharing more news soon. Keep checking back or just ask us how.

¹ Rosenfelder, Shani, “Initial data indicates ATT opt-in rates are much higher than anticipated––at least 39%,” appsflyer.com, 8 April 2021, appsflyer.com/blog/att-opt-in-rates-higher/.

^{2, 9} Laziuk, Estelle, “iOS Opt-in rate - weekly updates since launch,” Flurry.com, 5 May 2021, flurry.com/blog/ios-14-5-opt-in-rate-idfa-app-tracking-transparency-weekly/. Updated 20 July 2021

^{3-8, 10-11} Verizon Media, Internal data, 19 July 2021

iOS 14 Opt-in Rate: Behind the Numbers

LisaMoshfegh — Thu, 20 May 2021 22:01:58 +0000

iOS 14 Opt-in Rate: Behind the Numbers

By David Lundell, Head of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

LisaMoshfegh Thu, 05/20/2021 - 15:01

2021-05-20

Tags

ios 14

Apple

Apple launched one of the most significant privacy policies in the mobile app economy with the release of iOS 14. iOS users are now directly in control over whether or not their behavior can be shared with other apps and third parties. iOS app developers are now required to request permission to track their users beyond the app in use. This change will impact the entire mobile ecosystem and create challenges for personalized advertising and attribution.

With the rollout of iOS 14.5, app developers face a choice: display the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt or don’t track users at all. At Flurry we are tracking the opt-in rate: both overall and across only apps that have displayed the prompt. The high level findings:

The Opt-In rate across all apps has risen from 11% to 15% since the rollout of iOS 14.5.
The Opt-In rate across apps that have displayed the prompt has hovered around one-quarter of users.

Here are some insights that may not be obvious by looking at Opt-In Rate alone:

Opt-In Rate is only a slice of the picture

Apps in some categories have reported success requesting opt-in via the ATT prompt in bucket testing. But this misses the larger picture: with Apple restricting some devices from choice, and other users actively opting out in device settings, apps won’t even have the chance to prompt many users. We estimate that only 73% of users will be addressable by the prompt either because they have turned off the setting “Allow Apps to Request to Track” or because Apple has turned it off for them and disabled it. We derive this number by looking at apps that haven’t shown the prompt and finding 27% with Denied or Restricted status among active iOS 14+ users.

Most apps aren’t displaying the prompt

Over half (57%) of all app users on iOS 14+ still are in the Not Determined state. That means they haven’t yet been given the option by the app developer to opt in or opt out. More importantly, as of iOS 14.5, that means these users don’t have an IDFA and cannot be tracked according to Apple’s policy. These users are not reflected in the Flurry opt-in rate and many other publicly released opt-in rates.

iOS 14.5 has barely rolled out

Prior to the release of 14.5, we demonstrated how iOS version rollouts vary over time. We predicted that Apple would slow roll iOS 14.5 and that’s exactly what they’ve done. iOS 14.5 and 14.5.1 are only on about 16% of iOS devices worldwide as of May 20, which likely correlates to more tech-savvy users who explicitly sought out the upgrade rather than wait for Apple to push it. That means the industry hasn’t yet been impacted by the major change in iOS 14.5: users who haven’t explicitly granted permission to be tracked don’t have an IDFA and can’t be tracked.

With these insights in mind, here are some things to watch for in the weeks to come:

As the iOS 14.5 roll out accelerates, will apps displaying the prompt pick up?

Apps aren’t prompting in part because they don’t see an incentive. With the slow roll out of iOS 14.5, apps can still use the IDFA for unprompted users. As iOS 14.5 rolls out more widely—and Apple encourages further prompt rollouts in app store reviews—we expect to see the prompt displayed to more users in more apps.

When more apps start displaying the prompt, will users go to Settings and turn off prompting for all apps?

Most users in most apps haven’t yet been prompted. When that changes, annoyed users could go to Settings en masse and disallow “Request to Track” across all of their apps. This could drive the addressable prompt audience down from an already low 73% of users.

For attribution, how much will it matter?

Running campaigns with device-level attribution requires apps on both sides - publishers and advertisers - to get opt in. As Eric Seufert has pointed out, without critical mass on the publisher side, advertisers won’t be able to do granular attribution. While some advertisers have achieved decent opt-in rates on the prompt, opt in overall has been extremely low. If these trends hold, advertiser iOS attribution strategies must adjust.

As Apple continues the release of iOS 14.5 and developers are forced to finally present the prompt, we’ll continue to report on opt-in rates on our original blog post. Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog and on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest mobile insights.

What App Developers Need to Know about Apple’s App Tracking Transparency

LisaMoshfegh — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 18:38:23 +0000

What App Developers Need to Know about Apple’s App Tracking Transparency

By David Lundell, Head of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

LisaMoshfegh Fri, 02/26/2021 - 10:38

2021-02-26

Tags

Product Insights

ios 14

Apple

Q: What is App Tracking Transparency?

Apple will soon implement new privacy protocols that require app developers to obtain authorization to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies. If your app collects data about end users and shares that data with other companies, you must present a tracking authorization prompt.

Q. Can I still use Flurry Analytics once Apple launches App Tracking Transparency?

Yes! Apple has indicated that first party analytics providers are not subject to required tracking opt-in. Flurry does not rely on the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), fingerprinting or other device IDs which would require end-user opt-in. Flurry leverages the Identifier for Vendors (IDFV) for first-party analytics, an Apple approved use.

Q: Do I need to present a tracking prompt to my users because my app includes the Flurry SDK?

No. Invoking the opt-in prompt in iOS 14 is completely up to you. You decide when to prompt for authorization - or even whether to invoke the prompt at all. Your analytics from Flurry won’t be impacted by whether you display the prompt for opt-in authorization.

Q. Will Flurry only provide analytics for users that opt in?

No. Flurry provides analytics reporting on all of your users regardless of opt-in state.

Q: When will Apple launch App Tracking Transparency?

Starting with the beta versions of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, developers will be required to ask users for their permission to track them. We are still waiting for Apple to announce when these will be widely released, but industry insiders predict sometime in March.

Q: What do I need to do on my app’s product page in the App Store?

Developers that work with Flurry need to acknowledge and detail the Data Use around each type of data Flurry collects. As a Flurry Analytics customer, you MUST select the following Data Types as they are collected by Flurry Analytics: Device ID, Product Interaction, Other Usage Data. Optionally, if you use Flurry Crash Analytics, you must select the following Data Types: Crash Data, Performance Data. If you use Flurry Revenue Analytics, you must select the following: Purchases.

Please see this blog post for detailed steps to update your app’s data collection practices as they relate to Flurry Analytics. The information we are providing is only relevant to your use of Flurry Analytics. Based on your own app’s data collection practices or those of other third-parties you work with, you may need to select additional data types.

Q: Do I need to upgrade to Flurry’s latest SDK to be compliant with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency?

No. Flurry customers will continue to receive the same data and services from Flurry Analytics regardless of SDK version. We recommend minimum Android Flurry SDK v.12.0.0 and minimum iOS Flurry SDK v10.0.0.

To take advantage of Flurry’s Conversion Value analytics, upgrade to the latest version of the Flurry SDK. For more information on how to use Conversion Value to measure post-install campaign campaign effectiveness and LTV, please see this blog post.

Q: Does Flurry respect end user App Tracking Transparency authorization (i.e. user tracking opt-in)?

Flurry will respect Apple’s policy requirement to not combine data across apps and websites owned by other companies in cases where end users have not provided affirmative consent to tracking. In other words, Flurry doesn’t track unless the app obtains tracking consent.

Q: What does ATT mean for me as an app publisher who relies on advertising revenue?

Today, Ad Networks and Demand Side Platforms use the IDFA to reach target audiences. When the IDFA becomes largely unavailable, advertisers will have fewer tools for targeting and attribution. As a result, ad spending will likely drop, leading to lower CPMs and fill for application publishers. For more details on how ATT will likely impact app developers who rely on advertising revenue - and for how Flurry can help - please read our blog post.

Q: What does ATT mean for me as an app publisher who relies on advertising to drive user acquisition?

In the pre-iOS 14 world, Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) used IDFAs to provide app install campaign performance insights. With freely collected IDFAs, advertisers could learn which app showed an ad, the specific campaign and creative used to drive an install, and even actions taken by end users after downloading an advertised app. As we enter a new era in which the majority of IDFAs will no longer be available, this traditional mobile attribution model will be impacted. To address the gap it is creating for MMPs, Apple has improved its own SKAdnetwork framework. To learn more about how Flurry can help you leverage SKAdnetwork, please read our blog post here.

Q: What is SKAdnetwork?

SKAdnetwork is Apple’s solution to attribution challenges, including those introduced by the App Tracking Transparency framework. SKAdnetwork helps advertising apps and ad networks connect their campaigns to installs. For end users that have not opted into tracking, SKAdnetwork metadata is the only way for apps to measure campaign impact on installs.

Q: What is SKAdnetwork Conversion Value?

For end users that have not opted into tracking, Conversion Value is the only indicator beyond the install event to gauge the quality of the install. Conversion Value is a six bit value set by the app after users launch a new app for the first time. Apps can update the conversion value within 24 hours. Updating the value automatically resets a 24-hour timer, which postpones the SKAdnetwork postback to ad networks. With up to 64 different values and a limited time in which to set those values, apps will need to be smart about using Conversion Value to effectively describe and predict the user’s expected lifetime value. No matter how you choose to set your Conversion Value, Flurry can help you better understand lifetime value by automatically setting the Conversion Value as a Standard User Property. Please see this blog post for details.

Flurry is here to help navigate app developers through this disruption of traditional app business models. Please contact us at support@flurry.com if you have any questions.

Flurry Analytics' Guidance for Apple’s Updated App Data Collection Policy

LisaMoshfegh — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 19:57:03 +0000

Flurry Analytics' Guidance for Apple’s Updated App Data Collection Policy

By Raj Kaur, Senior Manager, Software Development Engineering

LisaMoshfegh Mon, 12/07/2020 - 11:57

2020-12-07

Tags

Apple is changing the information required to submit new apps and app updates to the app store effective December 8, 2020. The new submission process will give users transparency about app data usage via a new privacy details section of an app’s product page in the app store. This “nutrition label” will also include data used by third-party partners integrated into an app. If you are not familiar with Apple’s new policy, please familiarize yourself with it here. This blog post provides guidance on what data Flurry Analytics uses in your app.

Developers that work with Flurry need to acknowledge and detail the Data Use around each type of data Flurry collects. Please note that the information we are providing is only relevant to your use of Flurry Analytics. Based on your own app’s data collection practices or those of other third-parties you work with, you may need to select additional data types.

As a user of Flurry Analytics, you MUST select the following Data Types as they are collected by Flurry Analytics: Device ID, Product Interaction, Other Usage Data. Optionally, if you use Flurry Crash Analytics, you must select the following Data Types: Crash Data, Performance Data. If you use Flurry Revenue Analytics, you must select the following: Purchases.

The UI flow on App Store Connect is as follows:

Step 1: Navigate to App Privacy section within App Store Connect and click Get Started

Step 2: Select “Yes, we collect data from this app” and select Next

Step 3: Scroll down and check the boxes for ” Device ID” ,”Product Interaction”, and “Other Usage Data” and click Save.

Step 4: Upon saving you will see at least 3 boxes populated in the Privacy Section where you will need to fill in further information on the data type being collected.

Step 5: Click on “Set Up Device ID” text, select the “Analytics” checkbox and hit the Next button

Step 6: On the next screen, choose the option applicable to your app. Flurry does not link IDs to user identity.

Step 7: On the last screen choose the option applicable to your app and click “Save”

Step 8: Repeat steps 5 and 6 for “Product Interaction” and “Other Usage Data” Data types. Once you have finished providing all the necessary information, the App Privacy page should look like the following:

If you have any questions, please contact us at support@flurry.com.

Now Available: Flurry SDK 11.0.0 for iOS 14

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 16:09:37 +0000

Now Available: Flurry SDK 11.0.0 for iOS 14

By: David Lundell, Senior Director of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

Anonymous Tue, 08/25/2020 - 09:09

2020-08-25

Tags

Product News

ios 14

Over the last few weeks we’ve prepared you for the upcoming release of iOS 14 in our emails, blog posts and in one-to-one conversations. To revisit our blog posts, here’s a round-up:

Today we are letting you know that our 11.0.0 SDK for iOS is available. You can find complete documentation on how to upgrade here. The new SDK includes the Conversion Value analytics we announced last week (documented in more detail here) as well is opt-in authorization integration (please find documentation here).

As a reminder, Flurry Analytics will continue to provide analytics whether your users opt-in to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Framework or not. Our offering is based on the Identifier for Vendors (IDFV) instead of the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). Flurry will respect your users’ privacy choices and will not use any data for advertising purposes unless your end users opt-in. And Flurry is committed to continuing to help developers evolve as iOS 14 changes how apps are built, marketed and monetized.

We hope the new SDK helps you be prepared for iOS 14. If you have any questions, concerns or comments during integration, please let us know at support@flurry.com.

Announcing Flurry Conversion Value Analytics for iOS 14

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 18:13:21 +0000

Announcing Flurry Conversion Value Analytics for iOS 14

By: David Lundell, Senior Director of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

Anonymous Fri, 08/14/2020 - 11:13

2020-08-14

Tags

Product News

ios 14

We are excited to announce a set of solutions to help publishers manage and understand the Conversion Value they set in order to measure post-install campaign performance. A new Flurry Analytics SDK will be available later this month to support this developer need ahead of Apple’s iOS 14 release.

In last week’s blog we discussed the impact iOS 14 will have on attribution. We also discussed the Conversion Value and how important that will be to growth efforts in a post-iOS 14 world. If you missed it, you can read it here. Many of you told us you’re not sure what to do with Conversion Value. After all, you have 64 values with arbitrary meaning. This is where our new Conversion Value Analytics solution can help.

Flurry Analytics SDK 11.0.0 will enable you to pass your Conversion Values to Flurry as standard Flurry User Properties. With Conversion Value as a User Property, you will be able to use Flurry to analyze your users’ Conversion Values with actual post-install behavior. For example:

See new devices broken out by Conversion Value
Compare key Funnels by Conversion Value
See any usage by Conversion Value
Create Flurry User Segments by Conversion Value

Our SDK will also have another option: a utility that maximizes the information you can provide in the Conversion Value. The new Flurry SDK enables you to set your Conversion Values to easily track both retention and key events. We use the limited 6 bit value SKAdnetwork gives you to record both the daily user retention and up to four custom event combinations.

The first 2 bits will be automatically set to the number of days since install, so you will have User Property buckets corresponding to 0 days, 1 Day, 2 Days and 3+ Days. Please note that you need to set this on each session to make sure you capture this fully.
The second 4 bits will be set to correspond to key event combinations across 4 default key events we have identified: Register, Log In, Subscribe, and In-App Purchase. You can overwrite these default values to represent any events you want.

So you’ll get 4 days and 4 events which Flurry will automatically set for you in any combination. Just set the event when triggered and Flurry will take care of the rest.

You can simply set the Conversion Value yourself or use this utility. Either way you’ll be able to use Flurry to see what actions these users performed days, weeks and months later. Whichever option you choose, the Flurry Conversion Value offering has 4 distinct advantages:

Conversion Value User Properties are device-level. When your ad network gets SKAdnetwork postback, there will be no device ID. By contrast, setting Conversion Value as a User Property allows you to use Flurry Analytics to tie it back into detailed user behavior beyond the install, all in a privacy-friendly way.
Our reporting will be faster. Apple’s SKAdnetwork postbacks will take up to 24 hours to get to your partner ad network, and then will need to propagate from there back to you. The Flurry Conversion Value User Property will be available in filters, breakouts and other Flurry reporting within a few hours.
We follow SKAdnetwork’s timing logic. Setting a Conversion Value will mirror the Conversion Value your ad network will receive in the SKAdnetwork postback because we will update the value and the 24-hour countdown timer in the same way SKAdnetwork does.
Our Conversion Value reporting can fill in the gaps. Because some SKAdnetwork Conversion Value records may be dropped by Apple due to Apple reporting thresholds, our reporting may be more complete than what Apple provides to your networks.

As a reminder, we’ll release Flurry Analytics SDK 11.0.0 later this month, which will be iOS 14 compliant and will enable you to pass your Conversion Values to us as standard Flurry User Properties. If you have any questions about Conversion Value, iOS 14, or anything else, please reach out to us at support@flurry.com. We’d love to hear from you.

How iOS 14 Disrupts Mobile Ad Campaign Attribution

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 16:26:13 +0000

How iOS 14 Disrupts Mobile Ad Campaign Attribution

By: David Lundell, Senior Director of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

Anonymous Fri, 08/07/2020 - 09:26

2020-08-07

Tags

Product News

ios 14

Last week we explained why the release of iOS 14 will reduce publisher ad revenue and how Flurry can help reverse some of that impact. This week we focus on how iOS 14 will also impair mobile ad campaign attribution.

In the pre-iOS 14 world, Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) used IDFAs to report granular details about app install campaigns. With freely collected IDFAs, advertisers could learn which app showed an ad, the specific campaign and creative used to drive an install, and even actions taken by end users after downloading an advertised app. As we enter a new era in which the majority of IDFAs will no longer be available, this mobile attribution model has been upended.

To address the gap it is creating for MMPs, Apple has improved its own SKAdnetwork framework. SKAdnetwork helps advertising apps and ad networks connect their campaigns to installs.

When a new app is installed, the advertising app registers for attribution and sets a Conversion Value to indicate the value of the user. Apple will periodically send postbacks to the ad network that delivered the install, reporting the campaign, publisher app and conversion value associated with the install.

For end users that have not opted into tracking, SKAdnetwork metadata is the only way for apps to measure campaign performance. And Conversion Value is the only indicator beyond the install event to gauge the quality of the install. To ensure user privacy, Apple has designated itself as the only intermediary that can track and report attribution for these installs.

Conversion Value is a six bit value set by the app after users launch a new app for the first time. Apps can update the conversion value within 24 hours. Updating the value automatically resets a 24-hour timer, which postpones Apple from reporting attribution data to ad networks. With 6 bits – which creates a possible 64 different values – and a limited time in which to set those values, apps will need to be smart about using Conversion Value to effectively describe and predict the user’s expected lifetime value.

Flurry will help simplify this process with new features we are developing. Starting with a new SDK we will release later this August, Flurry will first make it easy to set, manage and evaluate the Conversion Value that an app reports back to SKAdnetwork. The SDK will include a way to provide the Conversion Value as a Flurry User Property, enabling you to analyze and compare users with different Conversion Values. For example, you can see how users with one Conversion Value converted in one of your funnels versus users with a different Conversion Value. Or, you can breakout Flurry charts (including active users, new devices and sessions) to show top 10 Conversion Values.

So how can publishers like you further use the 6 bit value within a limited time frame to effectively place a value on an install? Flurry will help you there, too. With Flurry, you can use the Conversion Value to indicate user retention and in-app behavior which Flurry Analytics already measures. Our August SDK release will make it easy for you to use Flurry’s out-of-the-box solution to set the ‘number of days since install’ along with key events that the end user triggered, such as Registration, Log In, Subscription or In-App Purchase. We’ll describe this solution in more detail in next week’s post.

We’d love your feedback on this. To let us know what you think, or ask any questions, please send us a note at support@flurry.com.

How iOS 14 Negatively Impacts Ad Revenue for Mobile App Publishers

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 04:46:36 +0000

How iOS 14 Negatively Impacts Ad Revenue for Mobile App Publishers

By: David Lundell, Senior Director of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

Anonymous Thu, 07/30/2020 - 21:46

2020-07-31

Tags

Product News

ios 14

When Apple announced iOS 14, it outlined a new policy which requires app publishers to seek end user permission to access a user’s IDFA. While estimates on forecasted opt-in rates vary, the result is clear: the IDFA will become scarce. Among the implications for app developers, the most pressing is an expected large drop in advertising revenue. In this post, we’ll discuss how disabling the IDFA leads to a sizable drop in ad revenue.

With the announced opt-in policy on iOS 14, app developers that rely on ad revenue should expect their ad performance and fill rates drop. Today, Ad Networks and Demand Side Platforms use the IDFA to reach target audiences. Going forward, when the IDFA becomes largely unusable, advertisers will no longer know which consumers they’re reaching. As a result, ad spending will drop, leading to lower CPMs and fill for application publishers.

For consumers that permit tracking, the IDFA can continue to be used in ad requests. That said, Flurry expects that the significant majority of consumers will not permit tracking. For all intents and purposes, publishers should consider the IDFA mostly unusable. Without a targeting identifier, advertisers will be forced to bid blind and therefore lower their bid amounts. Advertisers will further bid lower because granular attribution will no longer be possible. We’ll go into more detail about attribution in a future blog post.

In-app advertising suddenly will become a less viable revenue model. In response, publishers will be forced to either preserve IDFAs or pivot to other revenue models.

In-app purchase and subscriptions: Apps that are ad-supported, or employ a hybrid model, may shift to paid models.
IDFA maximization: Some publishers may attempt to gate app functionality in order to incentivize opt-in.

We also recommend publishers explore a third approach: Leveraging their first party data for advertisers. Publishers can rebuild ad performance by using their own data to make their audiences more attractive to advertisers, even without an IDFA.

Flurry can help make this happen. Using both the Flurry Analytics and Verizon Ads SDKs, publishers can gain superior fill and performance across a number of ad formats. Together, the Flurry and the Verizon Ads SDKs will package publisher audience profiles in a privacy-friendly way and make them available to advertisers. The more advertisers know about your users, the higher the CPMs and fill you can expect. Most importantly, this solution adheres to Apple’s new guidelines. Only data from your own apps is used, and data from third-party or your own opted-out users is never included.

We are working out the release timing of this capability, which enables publishers to leverage their own data for improved advertising performance. To get early access to this solution, please contact support@flurry.com.

Preparing for iOS 14

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 23:21:22 +0000

Preparing for iOS 14

By David Lundell, Senior Director of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

Anonymous Thu, 07/23/2020 - 16:21

2020-07-23

Tags

Product News

ios 14

At this year’s WWDC, Apple announced that iOS 14 will change how developers can collect and share end user data. We’re summarizing the most important changes here, and how we’re helping you prepare for iOS 14.

Using Flurry Analytics

Please note that Flurry Analytics is unaffected by these changes, and you can continue to use the service without any issues before and after iOS 14 is released.

Managing Privacy with Your End Users

With iOS 14, you will have to provide end users information and the choice to opt-in to data collection. Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency framework communicates these requirements, and those will take effect when iOS 14 goes GA.

Two key elements of the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework include:

Tracking Opt-in Authorization: If your app collects data about end users and shares that data with other companies, you must present an authorization prompt. Note that Apple indicated that first party analytics providers are not subject to the same opt-in. We will release a new SDK in August that will pass through your users’ consent data to Flurry. Invoking the opt-in prompt in iOS 14 is completely up to you. You decide when to prompt for authorization - or even whether you invoke the prompt at all. Your analytics from Flurry won’t be impacted by whether you display the prompt for opt-in authorization.
App Store Disclosure: Apps will now be required to indicate upon submission and on the app’s product page in the app store what data the apps collect, and what data is collected by the apps’ partners.

In iOS 14, users are opted out by default until you present Apple’s opt-in authorization. Until a user has specifically granted you authorization to track them, you do not have their authorization to track them as defined by Apple. Given our experience with GDPR and similar privacy controls, we anticipate opt-in rates will be at or below 20%. However, without an available identifier for use in ad targeting, CPMs will drop. Without a way to attribute app installs at the device level for most devices, attribution will be a challenge. The mobile ecosystem is just beginning to assess these types of impacts, and we will be sharing more with you as part of our industry insights series.

Flurry agrees with Apple’s moves to provide transparency and choice to end users. And Flurry Analytics will be compliant with their new policies.

Flurry commitment to our application publishers:

Flurry Analytics will continue to work, without interruption, whether end users opt-in to Apple’s new framework or not.
Flurry will provide a new version of its SDK in August that will seamlessly pass end users opt-in selections to Flurry.
Flurry will respect end user consent preferences.
Flurry will respect Apple’s policy requirement to not combine data across apps and websites owned by other companies in cases where end users have not provided affirmative consent to tracking. (Note: This statement was updated for clarity in March 2021.)
Flurry will help you comply with the new App Store transparency page, providing guidance to ensure your app submission process goes smoothly.

Note that at the time of writing this post, Apple has yet to release its final guidance. As such, our guidance may evolve should Apple’s policies also evolve. In any event, Flurry will continue to work with Apple to ensure that our privacy practices align with Apple policies.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions and let us know how Flurry can help further by emailing us at support@flurry.com.