Note
Google will be deprecating the Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) legacy API. To continue using Android uninstall tracking, update your Firebase credentials submitted to Airbridge by May 31, 2024. For detailed instructions, refer to this article.
Airbridge will use the new API starting with the next silent push notifications after you update your credentials. The new API does not affect the uninstall event count or the uninstall tracking mechanism.
By enabling uninstall tracking, you can view how many users deleted the app in the Airbridge dashboard. Refer to the following articles and get help from your developer to enable uninstall tracking.
Note
The [Uninstall Tracking] menu in the Airbridge dashboard is available for only Owner and In-house Marketer users.
Airbridge sends silent push notifications to users who have performed any app event at least once in the past 6 months to check if they have deleted the app. These silent push notifications are sent daily between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM UTC. When the response confirming the successful sending of a silent push notification is not received, Airbridge reports it as an uninstall.
The uninstall event is attributed to the same ad channel that has contributed to the latest install within the time period of attribution window + 1 day. Uninstall events reported after this time period will be sorted as “Unattributed.”
If the attribution window is set to 7 days, the uninstall events are attributed to the same ad channel that has contributed to the latest install within the past 8 days.
For more details on the attribution window, refer to this article.
Even if the number of installs is high, the retention rate may be low, or the revenue may not meet expectations. Uninstall tracking can offer insights for a better understanding of user behavior and the effectiveness of your ad campaigns.
Example case
Ad channel A: 2,000 installs and 1,500 uninstalls
Ad channel B: 1,000 installs and 100 uninstalls
In this scenario, ad channel A is more effective than ad channel B when it comes to installs. However, when considering the uninstalls, ad channel B brought in more users who are more engaged and are likely to have more value for your business.
Navigate to [Settings]>[Uninstall Tracking] to enable uninstall tracking. Refer to the following articles and get help from your developer to enable uninstall tracking.
Get your developer involved
The uninstall tracking setup includes the SDK setup and silent push notification test which requires the expertise of a developer.
Once the developer-side setup is completed, switch on the Enable uninstall tracking toggle at the bottom of the [Uninstall Tracking] page to start tracking uninstall events. The device information is collected right after the SDK setup is completed, and therefore, the uninstall event data of the first couple of days from the day the toggle is switched on may not reflect the actual user behavior.
For more details, refer to this section.
The timestamp of the uninstall event corresponds to the time when the silent push notification was sent. The response to the silent push notification is received days later, and therefore it is not possible to know the exact time when the uninstall event occurred. The uninstall events can be viewed in the following:
Actuals Report, Trend Report, Retention Report, Funnel Report: Uninstall (App) must be selected as a metric
Raw data export files: Uninstall (App) must be included in the event list for data export
The silent push notification test is for ensuring that silent push notifications can be sent successfully using the entered credentials. The test itself does not result in any tracking of actual uninstall events. To start actual tracking, the Enable uninstall tracking toggle must be switched on after the SDK setup has been completed.
Uninstall event data collected right after switching on the Enable uninstall tracking toggle may include some data collected before switching on the toggle.
Device information starts to be collected right after the SDK setup is completed, whereas uninstall events are tracked from the moment the Enable uninstall tracking toggle is switched on. As a result, for a couple of days after the toggle has been switched on, uninstall events collected between the SDK setup and the toggle switch-on are reported together.
When the silent push notification is sent, the response from Firebase Cloud Messaging is received approximately 48 hours later, and from APNs it is received between 7 to 9 days later. Therefore, it is not possible to know the exact time the uninstall event occurred, and the timestamp of the uninstall event is the time the silent push notification was sent.
Google will be deprecating the Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) legacy API. To continue using Android uninstall tracking, update your Firebase credentials submitted to Airbridge by May 31, 2024. For detailed instructions, refer to this article.
Airbridge will use the new API starting with the next silent push notifications after you update your credentials. For instance, if you update your credentials on April 26 at 6:00 AM UTC, Airbridge will use the new API starting with the silent push notifications sent on April 26 between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM UTC.
The new API does not affect the uninstall event count or the uninstall tracking mechanism.
Unlike other event data, which is collected in real-time via tracking links and SDK, uninstall event data is collected over several days via the delayed responses provided by operating systems.
To elaborate, Airbridge sends silent push notifications to users who have performed any app event at least once in the past 6 months to check if they have deleted the app. These silent push notifications are sent daily between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM UTC.
Due to the distinctive nature of the uninstall tracking mechanism, it is advised to test silent push notifications and ensure that Airbridge can successfully collect uninstall Events. Airbridge will continue to refine and perfect this feature.
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