NoteThe [Uninstall Tracking] menu in the Airbridge dashboard is available for only Owner and In-house Marketer users.
How Uninstall Tracking Works
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.”When the attribution window is set to 7 days
When the attribution window is set to 7 days
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.
Why you need to track uninstall events
Why you need to track uninstall events
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
Uninstall Tracking Setup
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 involvedThe uninstall tracking setup includes the SDK setup and silent push notification test which requires the expertise of a developer.

How to view uninstall events
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
Attention
Objective of the silent push notification test
Objective of the silent push notification test
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.
Data discrepancy in the beginning
Data discrepancy in the beginning
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.
Timing differences in uninstall event tracking
Timing differences in uninstall event tracking
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.
Uninstall tracking mechanism
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.