How To Find Your Real ATT Opt-In Rate

So you’ve just wrapped your head around the iOS14 changes and now you need to figure out exactly how to measure your ATT opt-in rate?

When Apple announced that iPhone users would have to opt-in to share their data, those in mobile advertising were hit with a fresh set of challenges. The most recent has been figuring out ATT opt-in rates. With industry reports varying from 1% all the way up to 60%, confusion over how people are calculating their numbers has been rife.

In this blog, we’re going to cover the different ways to measure your ATT opt-in rate for iOS14 and what the best metrics are for obtaining accurate data.

If you’ve been worrying that your ATT opt-in rate is significantly lower than others are reporting, fear not. There could be a chance that they're analysing a completely different set of data to the ones that you’re using. Companies are sharing varying reports due to the simple reason that they’re measuring their data in different ways. Some are using advertiser data (which can be measured differently), while others are sharing publishing data.

Wondering which is which? Let’s get into the different methodologies.

Advertiser data can range widely as there are 2 different ways that advertisers are measuring opt-ins. Mobile analytics company Flurry have been sharing ATT opt-in rates using both methods. In these examples below, you can see the data they’ve reported from the same week, but with varying results.

Option A: Measuring app-users across all apps.

How do they measure this data? This calculation is made by working out the percentage of iOS14 users who have allowed tracking across multiple apps. If someone opts-in for a gaming app and a social app, they’re counted twice. It doesn’t count individual users, but instead provides an industry-level view as it shows the average rate across all apps. This opt-in rate has fluctuated from around 4% to 13% so far.

Is this accurate data? As this is an industry-wide metric, it doesn’t provide an app-specific answer to how users are responding to the tracking privacy prompt. It also isn’t the most accurate as it’s counting multiple decisions made by a single user. Another challenge with this method is that it considers iOS14 users who haven’t been shown the prompt (due to LAT being enabled in the previous iOS, restricted due to age or they simply haven’t been shown it yet). This is why the opt-in rate using this metric is lower and potentially not as accurate.

Option B: Measuring app-users across apps that have shown the prompt

How do they measure this data? Option B works out the percentage by dividing those who decide to opt-in with all of the users who have actually been shown the prompt. This can be done at app-level, as developers are able to obtain the users ATT status after they’ve made their choice. As seen in Flurry’s graph, using this metric usually results in higher ATT opt-in rates. If you use an MMP or have been reading reports from MMP’s, it’s likely they use this method.

Opt-in rates from publishers are another ball-game. These are rates that are being reported from ad networks, ranging on average from 15% - 30%.

How do they measure this data? This metric comes from the number of ad impressions that contain an IDFA. Each impression is counted individually using the IDFA (a unique identifier assigned to each iOS device). It’s only possible to see an individual’s IDFA if they’ve opted-in to the ad network i.e if the user has consented to ATT on their Facebook app, the advertiser will be able to track their Facebook Ad impressions.

Is this accurate data? As you can only see the ad impressions from users who have opted-in, this won’t give you much of an insight into how many users are choosing to deny the ATT prompt. However it is useful for seeing how the iOS14 changes will impact your monetisation strategy and ad campaigns.

Which are the main indicators app marketers should consider?

Those working in mobile advertising should look at both advertiser data and publisher data. Both sides are important to get a full overview, due to the fact that users need to opt-in to both your app and the publisher's app to be tracked with IDFA. We recommend using app-level advertising data to measure your opt-in rate and compare it to industry averages, and publishing data to measure the impact of iOS14 on your ad campaigns.

To conclude, it’s still early days for the iOS14 changes to take full effect, so don’t worry too much about the current industry data. Focus on getting ready for the changes and increasing your opt-in rate with an effective ATT prompt strategy. If you need any guidance putting one together, we’re here to help.

At Growthcurve, we’re experts in all aspects of PPC campaigns. We love combining innovative ad-tech with a thorough marketing strategy to create amazingly effective digital advertising campaigns for our clients. If you want to learn more about growing your business through digital advertising campaigns, get in touch.