Overview
SKAN (short for SKAdNetwork) is Apple’s system for tracking iOS ads while protecting user privacy. Instead of showing you exactly who installed your app, Apple gives back anonymous signals that show:
- Did the ad lead to an install?
- Did users take valuable actions later (like purchases or sign-ups)?
- Which campaign or source was responsible?
Helpful links from Apple:
How SKAN Works
Here’s the basic flow:
- A user sees or clicks your ad.
- They install your app and open it.
- The app reports the event through SKAN.
- After a delay, Apple sends an anonymous “postback” to the ad network.
Key items in SKAN 4:
- Up to 3 postbacks: data comes back at different time windows (first few days, then later).
- Conversion values:
- Fine-grained values (0–63) if Apple’s privacy threshold is met.
- Coarse-grained values (low / medium / high) if not enough installs for fine values.
- Source identifier: replaces “campaign ID” with a new system that’s more flexible but still privacy-safe.
What is the Privacy Threshold?
In SKAN 4.0, the "privacy threshold" is the minimum installs needed for a campaign to share useful data. It protects privacy by only releasing info when there's enough data to hide individual users. If not met, data might show as "null."
⚠️ NOTE: Apple’s “privacy threshold” is proprietary to Apple, which means Mintegral and outside parties do not know what that minimum number of installs is.
What You’ll See in SKAN Reports
- No user or device IDs — everything is anonymous.
- Delayed reporting — usually 24–48 hours or more.
- Some installs may show as “null” if Apple’s privacy threshold wasn’t reached.
- Mintegral adds helpful context like campaign IDs and channel info where possible.
Mintegral’s SKAN Support
- Fully supports SKAN 4.0.
- Works automatically — no changes needed in your Mintegral dashboard.
- For SDK traffic: update to the latest Mintegral SDK.
- For programmatic (ADX) traffic: confirm the exchange supports SKAN.