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WWDC24: AdAttributionKit, Apple Intelligence, privacy, and more
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Tiahn Wetzler, Director, Content & Insights, Adjust, Jun 10, 2024.
After briefly teasing SKAdNetwork (SKAN) 5 last year, mobile marketers and developers have eagerly awaited Apple’s 2024 edition of its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC24). As always, Adjust is here to provide you with the most interesting and industry-critical highlights.
Amid exciting information about AI developments, including Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT’s integration into Siri, updates to consumer products, and enhanced privacy features, Apple also announced AdAttributionKit. In place of the anticipated SKAN 5, AdAttributionKit is Apple’s latest solution for privacy-preserving attribution—which is available for alternative app marketplaces. And yes, re-engagement has entered the room.
What’s happening with SKAN 5 aka AdAttributionKit?
With little information revealed over the past 12 months, rumors started circulating that instead of releasing SKAN 5, the latest iteration of Apple’s API-based framework would be renamed to—or replaced by—AdAttributionKit. Revealed in documentation released today, this turned out to be true.
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As stated by Apple, AdAttributionKit builds on the functionality of SKAdNetwork, and it “helps advertisers measure the success of ad campaigns while helping maintain user privacy”. The critical difference between the two frameworks is that AdAttributionKit works for the App Store and alternative app marketplaces, while SKAN only works with the App Store. In terms of interoperability, if an app is integrated with both, APIs can be called from both, and if both have impressions, Apple’s system will sort and decide on a winner.
The image below details Apple’s latest explanation of the path of an ad impression that wins an attribution. This demonstrates that crowd anonymity remains critical in determining the postback data tier for app downloads reported via AdAttributionKit.
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As with SKAN 4, AdAttributionKit provides three conversion windows and three postbacks, with total measurability currently the same (0-2 days, 3-7 days, and 8-35 days). A few naming differences have already been outlined, however.
| SKAN 4 | AdAttributionKit |
|---|---|
| App ID | Advertised item ID |
| Redownload information | Conversion type |
| Source ID | Publisher item ID |
| Source identifier: Campaign info provided by the ad network |
Regarding the all-important re-engagement question, Apple’s WWDC24 video session Meet AdAttributionKit, available from June 11, states that support for re-engagement will be detailed. Other features set for announcement include JWS formatted impressions and postbacks, and support for custom creatives for click-through attribution.
Apple Intelligence, privacy, and more - what else did Apple announce?
Apple placed a strong emphasis on its new AI features and framework called Apple Intelligence, along with updates to its operating systems on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro—all with a central focus on user privacy.
Across platforms, the updates center on customization, privacy via features like app-locking, and easier transitions between devices. It will be possible to mirror an iPhone onto a Mac, for example. All of these OS updates (iOS 18, iPadOS 18, etc.) will roll out in the Fall, complete with Apple Intelligence. Standard features will include everything from notification prioritization, writing tools for proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing, to image generation (three styles), emoji generation, aptly named Genmoji, and much more.
Having placed less emphasis on AI up until this point, Apple doubled down on its focus of creating AI and machine learning solutions that improve products and user experiences while ensuring that outcomes and principles are: “Powerful, Intuitive, Integrated, and Personal, all while ensuring Privacy.” Apple claims that its journey into the AI space will provide users with experiences that “understand them.” By placing generative AI at the core of devices and drawing on the “personal context” available from these personal devices, Apple says it can deliver intelligence that’s highly relevant and privacy-centric.
How? By design, on-device processing enables a high level of personalization, while avoiding the use of servers, meaning data can be used without being collected. Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers will, however, be used to perform more complex requests.
Building on their partnership with OpenAi, ChatGPT will also be available when using Siri as well as system-wide in Writing Tools and other apps. Apple added that additional third-party AI models will be integrated in the future.
Apple’s SDKs will also be updated with new APIs and frameworks to enable developers to code in the new Apple Intelligence feature Image Playground. Writing Tools are available to apps using the standard, editable TextView, and apps that already have SiriKit will automatically gain access to its new capabilities. The App Intents framework will also be updated across a range of categories to enhance access to Apple Intelligence features for third-party apps.
To keep up with the latest developments from Apple, including AdAttributionKit measurement and solutions, reach out to your Adjust contact person today or request a demo.
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