ATT user opt in insights from AppsFlyer

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Post-ATT, rising opt-in rates and increased ad spending signal significant shifts in the app tracking landscape, reflecting changes in both user consent and developer behavior across gaming and non-gaming platforms.

Since the rollout of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in April 2021, the landscape of user privacy and advertising in apps has significantly evolved. As of Q1 2024, there's a noticeable increase in user opt-in rates, with 51% of gaming app users and 46% of non-gaming app users consenting to tracking, reflecting rises of 10% and 3% respectively. Alongside user behavior, developer adoption has also grown, with 84% of gaming and 68% of non-gaming app developers now incorporating the ATT prompt - a respective 16% and 14% increase in compliance. This change has been mirrored by a substantial rise in advertising expenditure on iOS platforms, seeing a 28% surge in total ad spend year-over-year, vastly outpacing Android's 5% growth. Additionally, non-organic app installs have seen a significant uptick, particularly on iOS, marking a 51% year-over-year increase, which highlights the evolving dynamics of digital marketing driven by heightened privacy measures.

New data from AppsFlyer comes as the three-year anniversary of Apple's ATT approaches

User opt-in rates:

51% of gaming app users that see the prompt from app developers now click to allow tracking, representing a 10% increase in the opt-in rate since ATT first rolled out in April 2021
46% of users that see the prompt click to allow across non-gaming apps. This represents a small increase of 3% since ATT rolled out in 2021.

Ad spend:

50% of apps increased ad spend on iOS between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024
There was a 28% increase in total ad spend on iOS from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024, compared to a 5% increase on Android over the same time period.

Non-organic installs:

From May 2023 through Q1 2024, there was a significant increase in non-organic installs (installs as a result of marketing activity) on iOS, with a 51% increase year-on-year (YoY), compared to an increase of 21% on Android.

Developer opt-in rates:

As of Q1 2024, 84% of gaming app developers have adopted ATT and show the prompt to users, as have 68% of non-gaming apps. (If developers do not opt-in to showing the prompt, app users are automatically opted out of tracking)
This signifies a 16% increase in adoption across gaming apps and a 14% rise in non-gaming apps, from when the ATT was first introduced