Effective marketing requires adequate tracking of mobile installs and core funnel events. Creating an adequate tracking plan is tricky for one platform but becomes even trickier when events need to be measured across IOS and Android platforms.
We find that confusion often arises with regards to tracking IOS App Installs as a conversion event in Google Adwords. Marketers often assume that because Android App Installs can be tracked in Google Adwords, IOS App Installs can be tracked in the same way. The problem however is that this is not the case as both platforms have access to different data.
To understand the problem of tracking IOS Installs in Adwords, it helps to understand the mechanism behind the firing of tracking events. An App Install occurs outside the app context. The App is not aware of an install until the app is opened because before this happens, no code is actually running.
You might be wondering what the solution is to this problem? Google Adwords explains in their documentation that Android installs are automatically tracked whilst they suggest using First Open event for tracking IOS Installs. As the name of the event explains, a First Open event is only triggered when the app is opened the first time. As such, IOS mobile installs will not be tracked from users who download the app and never open it.
It is highly recommended to use a Mobile Attribution Platform such as AppsFlyer or Adjust, but unfortunately this doesn't solve the IOS Install Tracking problem.
Appsflyer states in their documentation: "AppsFlyer records new installs only after the first launch. Users that never launch are not counted in AppsFlyer, even if they download and install (according to the App Store definition)." Adjust states in their documentation: "An install takes place when a user has downloaded an app and successfully opens it for the first time."
It is important to bear this in mind when creating and interpreting marketing reports because it could be that an invalid picture is created that Android has more installs than IOS and hence lower CPA's. It helps to look at events that are fired for both platforms in the same way / at the same time such as First Open and measure the Cost Per Acquisition and number of Installs based on this event to standardise measurement across the platforms.