What the latest ATT metrics say about the state of SKAN

Since the introduction of ATT, the mobile marketing landscape has been anything but static. We’ve navigated new SKAN versions, updated conversion values, random timers, crowd anonymity, and recently, the launch of a new privacy-first attribution framework, App AdAttributionKit (AAK). While the industry often adapts slowly to such significant shifts, there's been a lot of progress in how we understand, measure, and optimize for performance in the Privacy Era.

In this article, we’ll dive into the latest research from Singular around iOS campaigns and the state of SKAdNetwork to explore what these trends mean for the future of your iOS mobile marketing efforts.

Let’s get started 🤓!

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#1 The industry is finally catching up to SKAN 4.0

Despite offering key updates, SKAN 4.0 still experienced a very slow adoption curve. This framework was originally released in 2022, but the industry didn't see a noticeable shift in uptake until early 2024. 

This slow adoption might explain why, rather than moving forward with SKAN 5.0 as teased at WWDC 2023, Apple pivoted to releasing AdAttributionKit (AAK). Built on top of SKAdNetwork fundamentals, AAK seems to be the latest strategic move by Apple: using re-engagement as a key premise to accelerate industry adoption of this attribution framework.

💡What this means for app marketers: Nearly two years after the launch of SKAN 4.0, around 35% of SKAN postbacks now come from this version—up from just 11% in September 2023. The industry is finally entering a more mature phase of SKAN 4.0 as more marketers are beginning to see the benefits of the latest updates, such as accessing more granular data across different conversion windows.

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#2 This adoption trend is mostly led by growth partners such as DSPs

Looking at adoption trend data, we can see that the early uptake of SKAN 4.0 is being driven by growth partners like DSPs in the open app ad ecosystem. These players are among the first to take the lead when new SKAN versions are released, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with 4.0. 

The latest data shows that Jampp has achieved an 89% adoption rate, while walled gardens like Meta, Google, and TikTok are seeing around 8% adoption on average.

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What we're seeing in the market is that the big walled gardens are releasing internally-calculated probabilistic measurement to maximize the number of installs and conversions they claim. They're not adopting SKAN 4 at scale, and I'm not sure they're very interested in AAK either. On the other hand, the independent ad networks are maximizing their use of several external measurement methodologies, including SKAN, to boost click and conversion data. All of this builds up in Singular to what we called Unified Measurement: taking multiple signals from multiple methodologies to build up a nuanced view of both upper and lower-funnel advertising effectiveness.
— John Koetsier, VP Insights, Singular

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💡What this means for app marketers: To drive success with SKAN, seek out experienced growth partners who are helping onboard customers to the latest framework versions and understand the challenges and opportunities advertisers might face in this process. These partners will keep you informed about the latest updates and actively suggest new initiatives and strategies to test and optimize your campaigns.

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#3 Fewer users have an IDFA

In Q2 2024, ATT opt-in rates fell to 13.85%, down from 18.9% in the previous quarter. This trend is driven by consumer apps, where users are less likely to opt-in (11.92%) compared to mobile game users (18.58%). 

Although these rates are still higher than the initial 9% recorded in 2021, opt-in rates remain low—and could potentially get even lower.

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💡What this means for app marketers: Without leveraging initiatives like SKAN or AAK, you'll fail to reach the 86.15% of iOS users who don't have an IDFA—and therefore won't fully tap into the potential of your iOS audience. 
Low ATT opt-in rates also show that most users aren't comfortable with being tracked for advertising purposes. By using SKAN and AAK, you'll be making sure to comply with users' privacy preferences at all times.

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#4 Weather apps have the highest opt-in rates, Entertainment apps rank among the lowest

Not all apps have the same ATT opt-in rates: leading the way, we see Weather, Art & Design, and Food & Drink apps, where 29%-38% of users still have an IDFA. On the other end of the spectrum, verticals like Social, Entertainment, and Music apps are seeing opt-in rates below 10%.

💡What this means for app marketers: With ATT opt-in rates averaging 11.32% across consumer apps, advertisers can’t solely rely on IDFA campaigns to engage with their iOS audience.

"Success in the Privacy Era relies on two essential strategies. The first is maximizing the potential of SKAdNetwork and AdAttributionKit—frameworks that allow advertisers to effectively engage both users with and without an IDFA. The second is boosting ATT opt-in rates with thoughtfully crafted prompts that clearly communicate the benefits of opting in, helping users understand why agreeing to be tracked would enhance their user experience."
— Rocío Vivot, Head of Customer Success at Jampp

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#5 Most iOS conversions are driven by paid marketing

Paid represents 56.5% of all iOS conversions, with organic installs making up the other 43.5%. This trend has remained flat since H1 2024. In contrast, Android organic installs saw a notable 55.3% increase in Q2 2024 compared to Q1 2024.

💡What this means for app marketers: With this trend remaining steady throughout 2024, relying solely on organic installs will limit your app’s growth potential. For iOS, this data underscores the need to focus on paid acquisition strategies, where tools like SKAN are essential.

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Key Takeaways

As more advertisers start leveraging the benefits brought by the latest version of SKAN, and paid strategies represent the highest share of conversions, competition in iOS is expected to keep increasing. 

SKAN 4.0 is key for advertisers looking to secure full coverage of their iOS audience and respect users’ privacy decisions at all times. The fact that the Ad Attribution Kit was built based on this latest SKAN version means that advertisers successfully running SKAN 4.0 campaigns will have a solid foundation for testing AAK.

Effectively navigating these developments will be crucial for advertisers aiming to maintain their edge in the competitive iOS market.

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Let’s talk about SKAN & AAK!

Want to learn more about success strategies for the Privacy Era, SKAdNetwork, and AdAttributionKit? Visit our Privacy Hub for a curated selection of resources, download our SKAN 4.0 guide, or drop us a line to talk to one of our experts.