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I have just started getting a warning message in AdMob for my iOS game with ads:

"Some apps haven’t been configured to use SKAdNetwork"

And that I may not be getting some advert credits. It looks easy to fix according to this:

https://developers.google.com/admob/ios/ios14

I just add a key to Info.plist

But on that link it also mentions App Tracking Transparency authorization and I’m unsure what to do about that. I know what ATT is - it presents an alert asking for permission track and affects access to the IDFA. But it’s a bit strange that Google says “If you decide to include ATT”. It’s like Google doesn’t really want you to do it.

Also, as far as I can see, the IDFA is still accessible without adding the ATT alert even in iOS 14.4. So some questions:

  1. Does anyone know when (or if) Apple will enforce requiring the ATT alert? They used to say early 2021 - is there a firmer date or specific version number? It does not seem to be enforced yet (my game update without it was approved this week), and the IDFA seems perfectly accessible on iOS 14.4 without the alert. I can print it out with:

    Console.WriteLine("AdvertisingIdentifier={0}", AdSupport.ASIdentifierManager.SharedManager.AdvertisingIdentifier);

    And it’s not all zeros.

  2. Am I really losing ad revenue without the SKAdNetwork key when the IDFA is still accessible anyway?

  3. Is SKAdNetwork the future and is IDFA being sort of phased out? So in the future, AdMob will not use IDFA at all?

  4. Should I go ahead and implement the ATT alert or wait (I’m worried most people will deny tracking, or it may put them off installing the game at all). Am I losing anything by not having the alert (I don’t think so, yet).

Bbx
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  • ATT is required as of iOS 14.5. This is currently in beta so I would expect it to be released in the next couple of weeks. SKAdNetwork allows for attribution tracking (tracking when a user installs an app after click on an ad in your app). The IDFA allows ad frameworks to track a user on a device across apps on that device. It isn't going away but as of 14.5 you will be required to ask to access it or you will get zeros – Paulw11 Feb 23 '21 at 19:36
  • @Paulw11 Thanks. And If I leave the IDFA as zeros (ie don't add the alert), does that mean the AdMob ads are not personalised? And what will be the reduction in ad revenue? I mean most people will choose "Don't Track" anyway, so may not be much difference and will avoid hassling the user? – Bbx Feb 24 '21 at 00:49
  • Yes, the ads can't be personalised. Who can say what the revenue reduction will be? – Paulw11 Feb 24 '21 at 01:00

1 Answers1

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  1. they will never enforce it, because if you do not show it that means that your app does not track users directly.

Note: I recommend not using ATT because most users ask you not track them anyway.

  1. Yes, if a user gave you a permission to track them then they will get more personalized ads which usually translate into more revenue but as I stated in the note above, most of users will not let you track them.

  2. Yes it seems that way, SKAdNetwork is needed to measure the success of ad campaigns while maintaining user privacy.

  3. No, I think this is not needed

user16930239
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