SKAdNetwork (SKAN) has been around for a minute. In fact, it was first released by Apple back in 2018. Since then, four versions have been created with the most recent, v5.0, announced at WWDC 2023. 

While five long years have elapsed since the first release, SKAN is still finding its stride with iOS marketers and hasn’t gotten the traction it might have initially anticipated. Will we see more adoption after the release of 5.0? Let’s take a look into what SKAN 5.0 will look like and how it stacks up against previous versions.

Up until now, SKAN support has been limited to acquisition attribution only, but with version 5.0, there will be added support for re-engagement attribution. While Apple’s mention of this release was subtle, the new feature will potentially increase adoption rates. The inner workings of SKAN for re-engagement have yet to be revealed, but the ability to attribute ad taps that prompt existing users to return to the app is undoubtedly a welcomed addition. However, it’s important to acknowledge that re-engagement targeting on iOS already poses challenges due to the limited availability of IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) since it’s availability became subject to user opt-in at the app level via the AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) framework in April 2021.

It remains to be seen how fast the industry can finish adopting all of the SKAN 4 updates introduced at WWDC 2022 and then take the step up to be on v5 to gain the benefits of re-engagement attribution. 

Get more information on the SKAN releases from Apple’s release notes.

Each SKAN version builds upon the previous release, but some releases have made a bigger impact than others. Version 3 introduced support for influencer reporting and delivering copies of postback to advertisers (previously only the ad network received the postback, which then had to be shared/forwarded to an advertiser and their measurement partner) making this one of the most adopted versions. However, SKAN v.4 was a big jump from the previous versions, introducing so much change that it upended some learnings, practices, and optimization modeling that had finally gained a foothold for effective use with v2-3. 

Apple introduced 2 more conversion postbacks (for a total of 3), along with three fixed conversion windows spanning day 0 to day 35 with fixed time ranges that could be prematurely ended with a new feature called lock window. New types of conversion values were introduced, along with a more complex approach to privacy thresholds which deploy multi-tiered crowd anonymity…say that three times fast. To top it all off, a new parameter was created to replace the 2-digit campaign ID.

Let’s take a look at the lock window functionality. All the time-based cohort modeling that was innovated to help marketers with early predictions on performance based on more stable conversion windows in v2-3 is negated. As such, some partners recommend advertisers don’t enable the lock window because of the disruption it could cause. Separately, the 2 additional conversion postbacks are appreciated, but they arrive so late that many ad network partners have advised they won’t be factoring them into their campaign optimization modeling for the foreseeable future.

In July of this year, Apple introduced SKAN 4.0 but then quickly rolled back to v3.0 ten days later due to a significant bug between SKAN and the AdService API. After a few days, Apple claimed the bug was fixed and SKAN 4.0 was once again available. Due to the bug with v4.0 and the major changes arriving on the scene with SKAN 4, adoption has been understandably slow. Partners need more time to see how the version adapts to their strategy before implementing it at any scale. The chart shows each release and the changes that were introduced with each version.

The answer is: it depends on the ad networks you’re running with. Ask your trusted SKAN ad network partners what version of SKAN they’re ready for and sign ad signatures with AND best positioned to optimize using the postbacks from SKAN they receive. They’re also likely to have recommendations for the optimal SKAN configurations to select within your mobile measurement partner (MMP) dashboard (e.g. how long to set your measurement window for SKAN v2-3, and whether to enable lock window on SKAN v4, etc.). It’s important to remember that your SKAN configuration and chosen conversion value model is one size fits all, meaning you can’t customize it per ad network. As such, if recommendations from your ad network partners are in conflict, you may want to follow those of the partner you’re driving the most spend and success with. 

Last, but not least, you can update your app as the advertiser to be v4 ready ahead of your partners. Your SKAN settings with your MMP will be backwards compatible. Once your ad network partners begin signing ads with v4, you’ll be ready to roll.

While SKAN is certainly complex, below are just some of the pros of using SKAN across all versions. 

1. Enhanced privacy – SKAN prioritizes user privacy by limiting the amount of personal information shared with advertisers and their partners. This protects user data and ensures compliance with privacy regulations.
2. Attribution insights – SKAN provides a solution for advertisers who have limited access to user-level data, such as the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) on iOS devices. It allows them to maintain some method for measuring the effectiveness of their ad campaigns without relying on user-level data.
3. Fraud prevention – SKAN employs measures to prevent ad fraud by providing limited and aggregated data. This reduces the risk of fraudulent attribution and increases the accuracy of campaign performance measurement.
4. Compliance with Apple: Complying with Apple’s privacy guidelines and using SKAN is crucial for app marketers to maintain a positive relationship with the platform. SKAN ensures adherence to Apple’s privacy policies, reducing the risk of App Store rejections and other consequences that may arise from attempting to bypass SKAN.

Even though each SKAN release has included more features than the last, the confusion and frustration  around how it works have been major reasons why some advertisers have struggled to embrace it. With more education around the topic and as the push for user privacy mounts, SKAN will become more widespread. In the meantime, determine which SKAN version your preferred media partners are using as there’s a wide variation in version adoption across the partners that have invested in supporting SKAN for their ad inventory. 

If you’re new to SKAN or need to brush up on it, gain an in-depth dive into what SKAN is and how it works with  The Ultimate Marketer’s Guide to SKAN for free. You can also read all about Kochava support for SKAN 4.0 here, and check out Kochava SKAN solutions.

The heart of Store Kit Ad Network (SKAdNetwork 4.0 also sometimes called SKAN 4.0), has begun to beat as we’ve started to see the first postbacks arrive. For the countless marketers that look to Kochava as their mobile measurement partner (MMP), we have compiled this helpful checklist to guide you on the next steps you need to take for any of your iOS apps where you want to measure campaigns over the 4th generation of the SKAdNetwork.

Before we dive into the checklist, let’s take a moment to review what’s changed between v3 and v4 of SKAdNetwork. The summary table below captures a high-level overview of the differences.

For a more in-depth breakdown, please read our prior posts Apple Releases SKAdNetwork 4.0 with iOS 16.1, Breaking Down Crowd Anonymity on SKAdNetwork, and/or watch our SKAdNetwork Webinar on demand.

Now, let’s dig into the checklist. We will split this into two groups. The first will be those that leverage the Kochava software development kit (SDK) to act as the mechanism that signals SKAdNetwork on their app’s behalf. This is the most turnkey approach and lets Kochava handle all of the heavy lifting on behalf of the marketer and developer. The second group will be for those that use our server-to-server (S2S) integration option, which means the app developer will need to self-integrate with SKAdNetwork APIs and own the in-app logic for conversion values and lock windows.

Congratulations! You’ve chosen the path of least resistance. Our iOS SDK gives you out-of-the-box support for SKAdNetwork 4.0 and access to our simple and intuitive conversion model functionality to align SKAdNetwork reporting with your key performance indicators.

STEP 1: Update your iOS SDK

Kochava iOS SDK v7 is available now and has built-in support for SKAdNetwork 4.0. Be sure to communicate and coordinate with your app developers to review the iOS SDK documentation and schedule integration updates for your iOS apps based on when you want to start leveraging SKAdNetwork 4.0 functionality.

Integration of this new SDK is a prerequisite to taking advantage of SKAdNetwork 4.0’s new features and configurations in your Kochava account dashboard. It’s important to note that the new SDK is fully backward compatible with prior versions of SKAdNetwork; as such, early integration will not impact existing SKAdNetwork functionality.

STEP 1-B: Set Kochava to receive the advertiser copy of SKAdNetwork postbacks
*Please note that this step is optional, but it is recommended.

Starting with iOS 15, Apple added support for sending copies of winning SKAdNetwork postbacks to an endpoint of the advertiser’s choosing. This is in addition to the postbacks sent to ad networks. You can set an endpoint provided by Kochava to receive copies of the winning SKAdNetwork postbacks on your behalf. While the postback copies do not replace the forwarded postbacks that Kochava receives from ad networks with enriched campaign metadata, they do serve a purpose for additional validation. Additionally, Kochava can forward that postback to a designated endpoint.

If you have not already designated Kochava as your endpoint for this purpose, it is best to follow the instructions outlined in this support document and request this update with your app developers at the same time they’re updating the SDK integration. 

STEP 2: Review Kochava’s SKAdNetwork v4.0 configuration options to begin planning your strategy

Whether this is your first time using SKAdNetwork or you’ve used it before, there are enough new developments and capabilities with v4.0 that you’ll want to review Kochava’s support approach so you can decide how best to configure your conversion models, coarse-grained values, and lock window functionality.

Kochava offers four distinct conversion value models that help you align SKAdNetwork reporting data with the key performance indicators that make the most sense for your business. The four models are:

In the case of the Revenue model, marketers will be able to dictate which revenue buckets equate to LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH coarse conversion values. So, in this example, if the marketer saw LOW, they would know the users had installed and may have spent between $0-$5. Whereas, if they saw MEDIUM, they would know the users generated between $5-$25 in revenue. The insight isn’t as specific, but it’s still directional.

Last but not least, marketers can decide whether they wish to use the lock window feature at all. If they choose to use it, they can decide whether it will be triggered by a specific bucket or by reaching the maximum conversion value (e.g., 63).

If the marketer selected Bucket 7, for instance, it means that the lock window function would be triggered once a user generated revenue between $50-$100. For a deeper understanding of the lock window feature, please read this prior post. 

While we focused on the Revenue model as an example, the coarse conversion value mapping and lock window functionality will manifest in a similar capacity across all other models. Please see our updated support documentation for configuring your SKAdNetwork integration within the Kochava dashboard.

STEP 3: Understand SKAdNetwork 4.0 reporting changes

SKAdNetwork v4.0 features net new data fields for:

• source-identifier
• coarse-conversion-value
• postback-sequence-index

When running SKAdNetwork reports in the future, you can add these new fields within the Additional Columns and/or Groupings options within reporting, and also use them as reporting filters.

Please note that if you have existing scheduled reports that you set up within the dashboard or via our reporting API, you will need to update or replace those scheduled reporting jobs to incorporate these new data fields. 

In addition to the Reports interface, please take note of these expected updates in the other platform dashboards.

Query
Within Query, these new data fields will also be made available in the SKAdNetwork tables within Kochava Query. If you leverage Kochava Query, be sure to update your scripts to accommodate these new data points.

SKAdNetwork Insights Analytics
Within Analytics, the SKAdNetwork Insights view will be updated to include a new filtering option by source identifier. 

Kochava Cost SKAdNetwork Explorer
Within the SKAdNetwork Explorer view of Kochava Cost, additional parameters will be forthcoming as integrated cost partners adopt SKAdNetwork 4.0 and update their cost APIs to include new data fields.

STEP 4: Talk with your iOS media partners

Kochava is in communication with all members of our SKAdNetwork Certified Partners Program, ensuring they understand the integration updates they need to make to be SKAdNetwork 4.0-ready. 

We recommend you communicate with your top media partners on iOS to understand their timeline for rolling out SKAdNetwork 4.0 support in order to inform your iOS spending plans heading into Q2 and beyond. 

Okay, you’ve chosen the more challenging path. While using our iOS SDK gives you out-of-the-box support for SKAdNetwork v4.0, using S2S integration means that you will need to create and manage all logic for SKAdNetwork conversion value mappings, coarse value mappings, and lock window functionality.

STEP 1: Integrate directly with Apple’s SKAdNetwork APIs

You will need to follow Apple’s developer documentation, “Configuring an advertised App to participate in ad campaigns.” This will include configuring your app to call Apple’s SKAdNetwork APIs for install notification and conversion value updates. 

STEP 2: Input your conversion value mappings within the Kochava dashboard

Even though you’re not using the Kochava SDK to signal SKAdNetwork, Kochava can still receive postbacks from your ad network partners and provide SKAdNetwork reporting. 

In order for the reporting to align with your custom logic for fine and coarse conversion values, you must enter your conversion value schema into the Kochava dashboard. This will include providing a definition for each fine conversion value at use (0-63), along with dictating its coarse mapping (LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH). You will need to ensure that if your developers change app logic for SKAdNetwork in the future, you return to make any required updates in this Conversion Value Mapping dashboard.

Please refer to STEPS 3, 4, and 5 in the SDK checklist section. These steps are also applicable for customers leveraging S2S integration.

SKAdNetwork 4.0 has changed substantially from 3.0, so you may feel like you’re starting all over again from ground zero. Our team is here to help. Please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com for questions.  

If you’re not currently a Kochava customer, but want to jumpstart your iOS marketing efforts over SKAdNetwork, please contact us. 

Our full production support release for SKAdNetwork v4.0 features in our dashboard is coming in April. Be the first to know and stay up-to-date with the latest news by subscribing to our newsletter.

In October, SKAdNetwork v4.0 was released alongside iOS 16.1. This new version expands the amount of information marketers may glean through attribution while maintaining Apple’s privacy-protecting policies. While Apple has not released the specifics of its privacy threshold counts and may never do so, the current release of v4.0 provides marketers and advertisers with a bit more information with which to adjust their marketing plans.

Now, let’s get into the meat and potatoes. 

Crowd anonymity is too low in Tier 0, resulting in massive data redaction or no postbacks at all. Essentially, the larger the crowd, the more anonymous each individual member becomes. As crowd anonymity increases with each tier, more granular data becomes available within the conversion postbacks Apple sends to ad networks and advertisers. The most granular data is only available at the highest crowd anonymity tier to ensure that SKAdNetwork remains truly anonymous – preventing any data points from being tied back to an individual user or device. 

*Note that Apple still does not precisely provide the thresholds for each tier, only that with more attributed volume, each tier is reached, and more data is shared.

How Apple categorizes app downloads within tiers

Apple provided insight into the categorization of app downloads within tiers. The placement is determined in accordance with 3 main factors as described below.

Inherently linked to crowd anonymity are the two sets of hierarchical conversion values Apple will be incorporating in SKAdNetwork v4.0: coarse-grained and fine-grained. 

Coarse-grained: This value can be set to one of three possible values and is included in postbacks when the crowd anonymity tier restricts the fine-grained conversion value. When the attribution volume is too low to share the conversion value, the coarse value will be included in its place, and at the lowest tier – even the coarse value is excluded. Note that the coarse value and conversion value are mutually exclusive; the coarse value cannot be used in tandem with the conversion value in the conversion model.

Fine-grained: This value is used for reporting post-install engagement from the advertised app. The coarse-grained value passes the current SKAdNetwork conversion value, which can be any value between 0-63. It’s only available in the first conversion window range at higher crowd anonymity tiers. 

The following pivot table showcases how crowd anonymity impacts the conversion value available across the three different conversion windows (0-2 days, 3-7 days, and 8-35 days).

Note that at the lowest tier, absolutely no conversion value (fine or coarse) is available. Additionally, the fine-grained value is only available in the conversion postback for the 0-2 day callback window.

SKAdNetwork 4.0 replaces the 2-digit campaign identifier field from the ad impression with a new 4-digit ‘source identifier’ field. This field should be considered a ‘conversion value’ equivalent to the ad impression. Certain digits become available as higher tiers of crowd anonymity are reached. Similar to conversion values, these four digits could be used to represent different data. However, since Apple obscures certain digits based on the level of crowd anonymity, each digit should represent something meaningful and discernible independently. Apple used the following model as an example: 

• Digit #4 = Ad placement bucket
• Digit #3 = Date bucket
• Digit #1,2 = Campaign ID

The diagrams below showcase how the crowd anonymity tier impacts the source identifier and source app ID across all three conversion window ranges.

Note that for source app ID this value is ONLY available in the first postback when the crowd anonymity is at Tier 3.

The gist of crowd anonymity is that advertisers are able to receive data at a level that corresponds with the number of installs their campaigns generate while still affording privacy to consumers. As campaigns meet higher privacy thresholds, more attribution insights will become available. For this reason, advertisers won’t want to spread their spend thin on iOS, but rather will want to spend adequately with each partner across each campaign to reach data significance in order to unlock meaningful and actionable insights for optimizations. 

SKAdNetwork had only one universal privacy threshold prior to v4.0 – a one-size-fits-all approach. This new multi-tiered methodology, combined with the addition of coarse- and fine-grained conversion values over three conversion postback windows (as opposed to the current 1), should genuinely improve performance insights for marketers to make decisions on.

For more information on SKAdNetwork 4.0, check out our blogs on Apple Releases SKAdNetwork 4.0 with iOS 16.1, SKAdNetwork 4.0 FAQ, and WWDC’22.

The digital advertising space is constantly changing. Stay up-to-date with all the latest in adtech by subscribing to our newsletter. For more information, visit our website or reach us at support@kochava.com.

In the years to come, iOS 14.5 and App Tracking Transparency (ATT) might be seen as the asteroid that hit the online ad marketing world. While it only affects ~20% of the worldwide smartphone market, it’s a change that could be the first of many to come as transparency and control have become driving factors in user privacy for the mobile market. Transparency in what information is being shared and control in that a user gets a choice to opt-in or opt-out.

Privacy concerns are only becoming more in focus with three states and the District of Columbia bringing lawsuits against Google. Karl A. Racine, the attorney general for the District of Columbia, was quoted saying, “Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy and control what personal data the company could access.” Governments, not only here in the US, are taking a closer look at what data gets shared, who shares it, and whether the consent of the user is present. No surprise that Google just announced this quarter moving their Privacy Sandbox into their Android marketplace. According to Digiday, Google will still support their Android AdID for at least two years but it would not shock anyone if we find Google eventually moving towards Apple’s direction in privacy after that.

With Apple holding back user information by default on their devices, and advertisers needing metrics to measure performance, in comes the middle-ground of the SKAdNetwork. SKAdNetwork was developed with iOS 11.3 as an ad network API designed to help advertisers measure their campaigns while maintaining user privacy. The ad networks are required to register with Apple and app developers must configure their apps to work with ad networks. Since the release of iOS 14.5, many improvements have been made to the SKAdNetwork (multiple postbacks, ad display) making it clear that Apple wanted this framework to be the future.

While the SKAdNetwork is that middle ground, it doesn’t give the entire picture for attribution like it was in the pre-ATT enforcement days. Per the pivot table above, based on whether the user has selected opt-in or opt-out, it’s clear that most of the attributable data between apps will be from SKAdNetwork. So how does SKAdNetwork work and how is it different?

First off, SKAdNetwork install validation postbacks don’t happen immediately and could take up to a couple days at minimum to arrive. Second, the postbacks lack any device or user data. The delay combined with the lack of user data makes it impossible to identify a specific user or device, thus ensuring the end user’s privacy. This means measurement of a campaign on any iOS 14.5+ device must take a different path than any other. With these challenges it’s more important now than ever, to have not only an MMP but a full Marketing Suite of tools. To succeed with SKAdNetwork, it will require a full embrace of the technology behind it.

With all of the challenges introduced with the SKAdNetwork, it’s clear the game plans of past measurement models will just not work with iOS devices going forward. While quite a bit of the information we had access to before (IDFA, etc.) is now being held back there are some innovative ways to still capture meaningful performance insights,  but it will take an MMP to help you realize the whole omni-channel picture. 

With an MMP, you will need to measure performance for your iOS acquisition campaigns in a more aggregate cohort manner. At Kochava, we have innovated different SKAdNetwork conversion value models that are able to deliver targeted insights aligned to the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important for your apps. These models: Revenue, User Journey, Engagement and Highest Value Event – are the most advanced and configurable conversion models available giving you the greatest insights in the industry. Additionally, developers can work with our FoundryTM team of data analysts to identify the optimal conversion model for your app based on a data-driven analysis of your first-party app data.

On the supply side, it is important to realize that the privacy stance Apple has taken is not going away at least for all iOS devices. All users on those devices will need to be measured differently than those on Android or earlier iOS versions. While it’s true if a user does opt-in on their device for ad targeting and advertising measurement, the percentage of users who do that will be far less than the opt-outs and any measurement of them specifically might not carry the necessary weight.

A good example of how to handle this is TikTok who embraced the challenges of SKAdNetwork and designed dedicated iOS 14+ campaigns in their business center. In the business center you can  separate the iOS 14+ users into their own segmentation and make it easy to set up and create campaigns based around them. 

As for Developers, it’s important to send all events including unattributed between all parties and also work with your MMP to make sure your SDK is up to date. You will also need to configure your key conversion events so that they fit within the specified conversion models you are looking to utilize. Ad networks are working hard to get their platforms aligned with the needs of SKAdNetwork. At Kochava we have created the SKAdNetwork Certified Partner Program to identify the networks ready to support the robust conversion models we have developed for advertisers while also delivering maximum granularity in campaign metadata.

To be certified, a partner has made steps to ingest SKAdNetwork data and will also provide the postback to Kochava. Certification through the program indicates that a partner is taking the necessary steps to maximize advertiser success on the SKAdNetwork and provide the most granular level of performance insights feasible through the SKAdNetwork. All major super publishers are integrated with Kochava: Google, Facebook, Yahoo, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, and more.

With an ad network that is SKAdNetwork Certified by Kochava, you will get a seamless integration for your campaigns so you can get the right answers for your continued growth. Kochava has the best tools and the best models for dealing with this aggregation of customer data and gives you that flashlight in the dark. Our dedicated, hands-on client support model can help you get answers to questions you haven’t thought of yet. We are continuing to work with our models to reconstruct partial data, tailor measurement windows, and gain information for what you need to measure success.

While these Networks are SKAdNetwork ready it’s important to realize that, even among the big players, you can see some drastic differences. It’s clear that key players in the space have taken the challenges of the SKAdNetwork with no clear solution working the same for each. Here at Kochava, we are working hard with each of these partners to streamline the process for the marketer. 

It’s important now more than ever to have partners like Kochava that can work with these challenges and help you decide what’s best for your app as a whole. Our support services have crafted guides to help with campaign management for each of these individual networks (Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, and more) so you can make sure your campaigns are working right. 

It’s not going to be surprising if we start to see something like Apple’s privacy rules appear on other device platforms albeit in their own way. In a more interconnected world, it is going to take more information from more sources to get a better understanding of the information we do have access to. Businesses that have experience and success in OTT advertising and measurement are best positioned to succeed as more platforms become more selective in their user identification and privacy frameworks.

For Apple’s SKAdNetwork, conversion value models will continue to evolve and require more and more non-specific user data to fill in the missing gaps and predict business outcomes. For the future, omni-channel will become more prevalent and to fully achieve attribution will require measurement beyond one device. It is increasingly important to find the right partners that can get that data, analyze it, and support the networks on a full next-gen marketing platform prepared for whatever the future holds.

Marketing campaigns for mobile apps may now be tracked in a deterministic, aggregated manner thanks to Apple’s SKAdNetwork (StoreKit Ad Network). This enables advertisers to assess which advertising campaigns and marketing channels performed well while maintaining privacy: there is no device-level or user-level data collected.

Allowing mobile app install attribution while protecting user privacy is possible with the SKAdNetwork API. In May 2018, several doubts concerning the future of SKAdNetwork attribution solutions on iOS were raised. However, because of a lack of resources and effort, SKAdNetwork had seen no widespread adoption. 

In the wake of Apple’s announcement of the AppTrackingTransparency framework and new privacy standards, all of that changed. Unsurprisingly, the industry had no choice but to embrace the campaign measurement alternatives. Thankfully, Apple gave its SKAdNetwork a makeover that introduced vital improvements to post-install quality insights.

SKAdNetwork is a marketers operating system framework for attribution of mobile installs that protects user data and privacy. With this tool, app install campaigns can be monitored without jeopardizing user privacy. The App Store and Apple’s servers verify and certify the attribution. The result is then reported to the network, separated from user IDs, device IDs, and time stamps. When a user clicks on an ad and goes to the store, the publishing app and the network share some basic information to help personalize the experience and support attribution over SKAdNetwork.

If you’re an advertiser, you’re probably wondering how to make the most of Apple’s new advertising measurement method. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:

• SKAdNetwork API integration is required by your media partners to support it.  A mobile measurement partner (MMP) can help you do this out-of-the-box with an iOS software development kit (SDK).
• In order to detect any issues or misuse, you’ll also need to gather and validate the digitally signed install alerts from each media partner, either directly or via an MMP vendor.
• Reporting is the next step in making sense of the data. The SKAdNetwork API has a restricted number of values and IDs, which presents difficulty, but one that is not insurmountable. There are several ways in which clever campaign ID encoding may help you get the most out of Apple’s API, and an MMP working with SKAdNetwork certified ad networks can help you achieve the reporting you’ll need to make informed decisions.
• Optimization and post-install measurements can benefit from intelligent parameter selection. It isn’t easy to encode a lot of information within the 64 conversion values Apple offers with SKAdNetworks updateConversionValue method. However, if you know how to utilize them, you can. An MMP can help you make the most  of these values and link them back to your reports if you want to assign and change them automatically without requiring specialized engineering effort.

Even though SKAdNetwork’s existing capabilities may not meet the expectations of today’s marketers, you may still get the most of it if you follow the guidelines mentioned above and work with an MMP.

Apple Search Ads rises as overall iOS attributions fall

Here’s what iOS 15’s arrival means for marketers

Apple’s latest major OS update, iOS 15, launched September 20, 2021. The runway leading up to this release hasn’t been nearly as intense as the lead up to iOS 14’s release last September, let alone the release of iOS 14.5 on April 26th, 2021 (a day after this writer’s birthday I might add), which brought with it the enforcement of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) framework and the end of the identifier for advertisers (IDFA) as we know it. 

Nonetheless, iOS 15 brings some important changes that marketers need to be watching for. While certain changes are live as of iOS 15’s release, others will be released in subsequent versions. Here are the key features we will touch on with a note on their expected status on iOS 15’s release:

• iCloud+ Private Relay (STATUS: Disabled by default and still in public beta)
• Mail Privacy Protection (STATUS: Available for users to configure)
• App Privacy Report (STATUS: Not yet available. Will launch with future update)
• Hide My Email (STATUS: Available for users to configure)
• Copy of Winning Postback for SKAdNetwork (STATUS: Available)
• Uninstall Tracking Changes (STATUS: Active)

Apple has introduced iOS 15 updates that will make uninstall tracking nearly impossible for iOS apps. With the recent push for privacy, it is no surprise that Apple is cracking down on this common tactic to detect uninstalled apps.

What is uninstall tracking and how does it work?

Uninstall tracking works by sending a “silent” push notification to a device. If the push notification fails at any point, it is assumed the app was uninstalled. By tracking uninstalls, marketers get valuable insights on user attrition. Marketers can also use this data to retarget lost users for reacquisition or suppress them in future acquisition targeting. 

Employing Apple’s push notification system and using it for other purposes outside what is stated in their policy has been leniently enforced. However, with iOS 15, uninstall tracking will no longer be viable as part of an effort to ensure more security and privacy for app users.

Predictive churn modeling

While uninstall tracking will be unavailable come iOS 15, Kochava predictive churn modeling has been a tried and true method for forecasting user behavior. Whether you have utilized uninstall tracking in the past or need a way to decrease user drop-off, predictive churn modeling is available to increase your user’s lifetime value.

How it works

After a new app install, our machine learning algorithms go to work using a form of decision tree modeling to analyze recency, frequency, trend metrics, and other data variables during the first 7 days of a user’s interactions with the app. 

On day 8, the user is assigned a churn score. “Churn” in this case means how likely is the device to not have activity in the app between day 8 and day 38 after install. 

iCloud+ Private Relay adds a new layer of user privacy to internet searches

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this year (WWDC21) did not send industry shock waves as it did last year when it announced its game-changing AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) requiring user consent and re-introduced SKAdNetwork for privacy-first attribution. With the announcement of iCloud+ Private Relay this year, however, it is setting a precedent for its ongoing mission to protect user privacy on iOS devices. The gist: iCloud+ Private Relay will further limit tracking of iOS user activity across the internet. 

What exactly is Private Relay?

Private Relay is Apple’s way of preventing entities from tracking iOS users across the internet and forming a user identity profile. It will redirect all network traffic through servers to hide a user’s IP address on Safari and is available to iCloud+ subscribers. (iCloud+ has added security features to their cloud services and is available to existing customers.) 

It’s worth noting that outside of the subscription, Apple will prevent pixel tracking within the Apple Mail app for all iOS users. It will also obscure an iOS user’s IP address on Safari to prevent entities (ie, third-party trackers) from using it as an identifier as users migrate from email to online content as well as protect their location. 

While at first glance Private Relay may sound like a virtual private network (VPN), it isn’t. Whereas a VPN hides a user’s location, Private Relay blocks websites from tracking users. Apple is also touting this as not only a benefit to its users but also to iOS apps and is a default feature intended to add a layer of protection to help prevent data leakage.

How does Private Relay work?