IDFA stands for Identifier For Advertisers. As you can already get from the name of this identifier, it’s mainly used by the advertising system of iOS devices so that advertisers can track devices and come up with accurate statistics about their advertisements.
This way they can make decisions regarding their marketing strategy and improve the accuracy of advertisement campaigns. Android App Development Agency can utilize these frameworks better.
The IDFA or Identifier For Advertiser’s framework provides a way for app developers to enable interest-based advertising in their apps. The IDFA is automatically generated, and it enables the collection of data that can be used by third-party advertisers to serve ads within the application.
If you are an iOS user then you should have seen many applications using Advertisements which will lead through App Store sometimes. This advertisement method is powered by the IDFA framework. When your device sends this identifier, it tells Apple that ‘yes’ – advertisements are needed for this particular device/application combination. That’s why there are so many ads everywhere! So if you don’t want to see any advertisement, turn off ad tracking on your iPhone or iPad
What is ATT?
ATT stands for Advertising Tracking Technology (ATT). It works similarly as IDFA does but it tracks information on the number of times an ad was viewed on your device rather than how many times the ad was shown on your device as IDFA does. ATT also tracks the number of ads viewed per day by a particular device.
The ATT Framework is a complete software system consisting of several sub-components. – A cross-platform device driver to allow your application access to the iOS accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, etc… –
An Objective-C compatible library is written in C++ that provides an interface for communicating with the driver.
A set of Objective-C classes built atop the library allows you to eliminate boilerplate code when accessing data reported by the hardware devices.
What is the Difference Between IDFA and ATT?
Both Identifiers for Advertisers (IDFA) and Advertising Tracking Technology (ATT) are used to track advertisements on different parameters but they both differ in one parameter i.e. only ATTS tracks when an ad was viewed whereas IDFA track how many times an ad was shown/displayed on your device.
Why do we Need these Identifiers if They are Used Only for Advertising Purposes?
The main reason to use these identifiers is that this information can help you understand which app may be draining more battery, which apps are frequently used, which apps are better in terms of user engagement etc. This data is also used to build a user profile which is then sold to various third-party companies for targeted advertisement.
Is Your Privacy Protected if we Have These Identifiers Enabled on my iOS Device?
Yes, your privacy is protected as the advertising networks can only see the aggregated data and not any specific information about you.
Can you opt-out of Having these identifiers Enabled on my iOS Device?
Yes, you can easily opt out of having these identifiers enabled on your device from the settings menu. Just go to
Settings -> Privacy -> Advertising and toggle off “Advertising Tracking Technology” and “Identifier For Advertisers”.
What are the Benefits of Using these Identifiers?
Almost all ad networks use IDFA or ATT to track the effectiveness of their advertisements. This way they can better serve you with relevant ads in the future. However, the main reason why it is beneficial for Publishers (app owners) to use IDFA and ATT is that app rankings in App Store are directly linked to the number of times an app has been downloaded by people. If your users like your apps, they will help you push up in ratings which will result in more downloads for your apps.
- All types of advertising platforms require usage statistics so that advertisers can make well-informed decisions about promotion campaigns. These identifiers help them track how many times an advertisement was viewed on a device.
- If you want to make any changes in your apps (add new features etc.) you need to track the performance of these changes. These identifiers help you keep a check on what’s working and what’s not in your app.
- If you wish to connect with your user base, then tracking information related to how frequently an app is used and for how long will be beneficial for you as it can help you in targeted advertisement strategies in the future.
- Also, if users like your app they are more likely to share it with others leading to yet more downloads. It is essential to hire iOS Application Development Servicesfor better app development.
How to Implement these identifiers if you are Using Third-Party ads?
There are indeed many ad platforms available that may use either IDFA or ATT but quite a few of them have already started supporting both identifiers. If you are using a third-party ad platform and it doesn’t specifically mention support for IDFA or ATT then you can simply contact their support team and inquire about the same.
If you are not comfortable with sharing your identifier data with any third-party company then you can use a service like Mediation Platform which will provide you with all the relevant data without sharing it with any other party. Publishers need to be very careful while selecting an advertising network as some of them may misuse the identifier data for their benefit.
Conclusion
So, these were some key points about IDFA and ATT which every app owner must be aware of. As mentioned earlier, using these identifiers has many benefits for both Publishers and Advertisers. A good idea would be to use a Mediation Platform (or any other platform that is GDPR compliant) that will provide you with all the relevant data without sharing it with any other party. So, if you are thinking of monetizing your app then make sure you have implemented IDFA and ATT framework in your iOS app like any other advertiser who wants to deliver relevant ads within their apps.
Read More: How to Development an iOS App Make it Compatible with the Android Operating System