Apple’s privacy changes continue to disrupt both app marketers and mobile media companies, with 25% of total budgets shifting from iOS to Android in 2021

AppsFlyer today released the 14th edition of its Performance Index, ranking the top media sources in mobile advertising. The newest edition is the first to measure activity completely post-Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) enforcement, and AppsFlyer examined the comprehensive impact that the new privacy era has had on all aspects of the mobile ecosystem: iOS and Android, gaming and non-gaming apps, Self-Reporting Networks (SRNs) and non-SRNs.

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“The growth in adoption of Apple’s SKAdNetwork and AppsFlyer’s release of Conversion Studio has enabled a significant expansion of the scope and methodology of the Performance Index”

Meta ads takes top spot in SKAdNetwork Index ranking

Apple’s ATT is approaching one year of enforcement, but mobile media sources continue to feel its repercussions following a chaotic year. After placing second in AppsFlyer’s previous SKAdNetwork (SKAN) Index, Meta ads has landed first place in the new SKAN ranking, coming in first in both power and volume positions in three out of four rankings.

The social network was able to drive a higher scale than all other media sources, while its quality signals were best across in-app engagement for non-gaming apps, as well as in-app purchases (IAP) for both gaming and non-gaming. Placing first in the SKAN Index indicates that Meta’s internal modeling for SKAN is improving, driving better results for advertisers on the platform.

Despite its top SKAN ranking, the post-ATT aggregate data reality has proven extremely challenging for Meta. Before ATT, the social networking giant dominated iOS rankings thanks to massive scale and top quality. However, in the new reality, its index volume remains much lower than pre-ATT, while the volume coming from consenting iOS users cannot compensate since most users do not consent to tracking.

TikTok For Business, which ranked first in AppsFlyer’s first SKAN Index in 2021, still performed extremely well, placing second in the power and volume rankings in engagement for non-gaming apps, as well as second in the IAP power ranking in gaming.

Google took third among non-gaming apps in the SKAN Index, with the search giant capturing third place in both the IAP and engagement power rankings for non-gaming apps, mostly driven by a second place finish in the Life & Culture category. Snap also made advances in the SKAN Index, coming in fourth in the IAP power and volume rankings for non-gaming apps.

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