Uninstall measurement

Android uninstall measurement

Uninstall measurement using Firebase Messaging is supported as of Android SDK version 4.7.0.

1. Obtaining the Firebase server key

1. Create a Firebase Android Application project (if you have not already done so), or migrate your project from Google Developer Console (follow the instructions there). For more information, go to Firebase. 
2. Open the Firebase Console.
3. In the Firebase Console, navigate to the Project Settings (click on the cogwheel next to Project Overview on the left pane of the page).
4. In the Cloud Messaging tab, you can see the two Server Keys (see screenshot below):
   
   
5. Copy the Server Key.

2. Entering the server key on AppsFlyer dashboard

1. Go to your app's dashboard on the AppsFlyer platform.
2. Select App Settings from the left menu.

   

3. Set the Firebase Server Key with the Server Key you just copied.

3. Configuring Firebase-messaging on your app

1. Download google-services.json from Firebase console.
2. Add the google-services.json to your app's module directory,
3. Add rules to your root-level build.gradle file, to include the google-services plugin:

   buildscript { 
       // ... 
       dependencies { 
         // ... 
         classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:4.2.0' // google-services plugin 
       } 
     }
   

4. Add the FCM dependency to your app-level build.gradle file:

   dependencies {
      implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:17.3.4'
   }
   
   // ADD THIS AT THE BOTTOM 
   apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services
   

The latest Firebase version can be found here: Firebase official doc.

If you receive a "Could not find.." error, make sure you have the latest Google Repository in the Android SDK Manager.

4. Implementing AppsFlyer uninstall measurement service

<application
   <!-- ... -->
      <service
        android:name="com.appsflyer.FirebaseMessagingServiceListener">
        <intent-filter>
          <action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT"/>
        </intent-filter>
      </service>
   <!-- ... -->
</application>

import com.appsflyer.AppsFlyerLib;
import com.google.firebase.messaging.FirebaseMessagingService;

public class MyNewFirebaseManager extends FirebaseMessagingService {

    @Override
    public void onNewToken(String s) {
        super.onNewToken(s);

        // Sending new token to AppsFlyer
       	       AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().updateServerUninstallToken(getApplicationContext(), s);

        // the rest of the code that makes use of the token goes in this method as well
    }
}

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().updateServerUninstallToken(getApplicationContext(), refreshedToken); 

<service
    android:name=".MyNewFirebaseManager">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="com.google.firebase.MESSAGING_EVENT" />
    </intent-filter>
</service>

@Override
    public void onMessageReceived(RemoteMessage remoteMessage) {
        
        if(remoteMessage.getData().containsKey("af-uinstall-tracking")){
            return;
        } else {
           // handleNotification(remoteMessage);
        }
    }

5. Using Proguard with uninstall measurement

If you are using ProGuard, add the following rule:

-dontwarn com.appsflyer.**
-keep public class com.google.firebase.messaging.FirebaseMessagingService {
  public *;
}

6. Testing Android uninstall measurement

The Uninstalls metric is available in the Overview dashboard. 

The list of users who uninstall the app is available in the uninstalls raw-data report.

To test Android uninstall measurement:

1. Install the app.
2. Uninstall the app. 
   Note! You can uninstall the app immediately after installing it.
   The uninstall event registers within 24 hours as uninstall measurement is processed daily.
   If the app is reinstalled during this time - no uninstall event is recorded.

The app uninstall event takes up to 48 hours to show up in the raw-data reports and in the Aggregated Performance Report in your AppsFlyer dashboard.

Whether the Android app is live on Google Play, pending submission, or even out-of-store - the test is the same.

7. Disable uninstalls measurement

If a Firebase/GCM Server Key is provided, app uninstalls measurement is enabled by default. App owners can disable this feature via the dashboard.

Note! For an uninstall to be reported: Enable uninstalls measurement must be on at the time the app is installed. Installs occurring when Enable uninstalls measurement is off aren't reported. 

To disable uninstalls measurement:

1. In AppsFlyer, go to App settings.
2. Scroll to Attribution > Uninstalls and turn off Enable uninstall measurement.
   

   

iOS uninstall measurement

iOS uninstall measurement is implemented using the HTTP/2 Apple Push Notification service (APNs).

1. Finding your app

2. If you have not registered an App ID yet, click the + symbol and complete the form.

3. Check the Push Notifications checkbox.

4. When you expand the application, there are two settings for push notifications with yellow or green status icons:

5. Click Settings to continue.

2. Generating your certificate

3. Renewing your certificate

If you are renewing either your Development or Production Push SSL Certificate, follow the steps outlined above as if you were uploading the certificate for the first time. There is no need to revoke the previous certificate in order to make this change. There may be two production certificates at the same time, to allow you to continue using the old certificate while uploading the new one.

4. Export the P12 File

The final step before heading back over to the AppsFlyer dashboard is to save your signing certificate as a .p12 file.

1. Select the certificate that was just added to Keychain Access

2. Go to File > Export Items.

3. Select My Certificates under the Category menu on the lower left-hand side.

If My Certificates is not highlighted, you cannot export the certificate as a .p12 file.

3. When saving the file, use the Personal Information Exchange (.p12) format.

4. Make sure it states Apple Push Services and appears as follows:

5. Go to your app's dashboard on the AppsFlyer platform.

6. Select App Settings on the left menu.

7. Click on the upload icon, select the P12 file to upload. 

8. (optional) If the P12 certificate is password protected, fill in the password in the P12 certificate Password. 

9. Click Validate to send the certificate to AppsFlyer to check if it is valid.

10. Click Save Settings.

5. Integrating with the SDK

Push notifications must be registered at the app's code level to enable uninstall data collection.

	//add UserNotifications.framework
	import UserNotifications
	func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
    //...
    // iOS 10 support
    if #available(iOS 10, *) {
      UNUserNotificationCenter.current().requestAuthorization(options:[.badge, .alert, .sound]){ (granted, error) in }
      application.registerForRemoteNotifications()
    }
    // iOS 9 and iOS 8 support
    else if #available(iOS 8, *), #available(iOS 9, *) {
      UIApplication.shared.registerUserNotificationSettings(UIUserNotificationSettings(types: [.badge, .sound, .alert], categories: nil))
      UIApplication.shared.registerForRemoteNotifications()
    }

    // iOS 7 support
    else {
      application.registerForRemoteNotifications(matching: [.badge, .sound, .alert])
    }
    
    return true
  }

 // Called when the application sucessfuly registers for push notifications
  func application(_ application: UIApplication, didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken deviceToken: Data) {
    AppsFlyerLib.shared().registerUninstall(deviceToken)
  }

- #import <UserNotifications/UserNotifications.h>
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
    // The userNotificationTypes below is just an example and may be changed depending on the app
 UNUserNotificationCenter *center = [UNUserNotificationCenter currentNotificationCenter];
          center.delegate = self;
          [center requestAuthorizationWithOptions:(UNAuthorizationOptionSound | UNAuthorizationOptionAlert | UNAuthorizationOptionBadge) completionHandler:^(BOOL granted, NSError * _Nullable error) {
          }];
   [[UIApplication sharedApplication] registerForRemoteNotifications];
    // if you do not use push notificaiton in your app, uncomment the following line
    //application.applicationIconBadgeNumber = 0;
  }
  - (void)application:(UIApplication *)application didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken:(NSData *)deviceToken {
    [[AppsFlyerLib sharedTracker] registerUninstall:deviceToken];
  }
  }

#import <AppsFlyerLib/AppsFlyerLib.h>
@interface AppDelegate : UIResponder <UIApplicationDelegate, AppsFlyerLibDelegate>

The code snippets above request permissions from the user to send push notifications. However, if you are only using push notifications in background mode to measure uninstalls, there is no need to ask for user approval. This is because these push notifications are silent push notifications that do not require you to ask permission from users.

User permission for push notifications in background mode 

If you are only using silent push notifications, make sure to enable Remote Notifications in Background Modes in your app's Capabilities:

1. In XCode, select your project
2. Select your target
3. Switch to Capabilities tab
4. Toggle Background Modes on
5. Check Remote notifications
   
   

6. Push notifications

Make sure you add Push Notification in your XCode capabilities tab. Without it, the deviceToken is not collected.

7. Testing uninstall

To test iOS uninstall measurement:

1. Install the app.
2. Uninstall the app.  Note! You can uninstall the app immediately after installing it. 

When testing uninstalls from Xcode or TestFlight it is important to let our SDK know that the token is generated from a Sandbox environment. Use the following APIs:

AppsFlyerLib.shared().useUninstallSandbox = true

[AppsFlyerLib sharedTracker].useUninstallSandbox = true;

Note! Uninstalls do not immediately appear in the AppsFlyer dashboard:

• It takes 9 days on average for uninstalls to appear in reports
• It can take more than a month for uninstalls originating from sandbox environments to appear in reports

In addition, the date of the uninstall is the date on which the uninstall is reported. See the next section to learn more.

8. Viewing uninstall data in the AppsFlyer dashboard

Uninstall measurement is displayed on the main dashboard in the Aggregated Performance table.

Due to a recent change in Apple Push Notification service, the time it takes uninstalls to appear on the dashboard is a minimum of 9 days. AppsFlyer updates and aggregates metrics for uninstalls every 24 hours

For more details, see the iOS Measure App Uninstalls section of the SDK Integration Guide.

9. Disable uninstalls measurement

If a P12 certificate is provided and validated, app uninstalls measurement is enabled by default. App owners can disable this feature via the dashboard.

Note! For an uninstall to be reported: Enable uninstalls measurement must be on at the time the app is installed. Installs occurring when Enable uninstalls measurement is off aren't reported. 

To disable uninstalls measurement:

1. In AppsFlyer, go to App settings.
2. Scroll to Attribution > Uninstalls and turn off Enable uninstall measurement.
   

   

Uninstall event postbacks

AppsFlyer enables you to send an uninstall event postback, for every known uninstalling user, to the partners you work with. The uninstall event is called af_uninstall in the AppsFlyer dashboard.

Mapping the uninstall event

You can map the af_uninstall event just like mapping any in-app event of your app.

As with any in-app event, AppsFlyer can send the postback only if the event actually occurs and is recorded by AppsFlyer. Therefore, mapping af_uninstall only works for completed uninstall implementations. If you don't see uninstalls in the overview page, or in the uninstalls raw data reports, no uninstall postbacks are sent to partners, even if you have mapped the af_uninstall event.

af_uninstall timing

Unlike postbacks for regular in-app events, The af_uninstall event is not sent in real-time.

In AppsFlyer raw-data and partner postbacks, the af_uninstall logged event time is the time when AppsFlyer knows about the uninstall.

• For Android devices: 24-48 hours after actual app uninstall
• For iOS devices: 9-11 days after actual app uninstall

Limitations

af_uninstall events are not included in In-app event postback reports.

The af_uninstall event is not currently available for all partners.

If you wish to map it with a partner, but see the event is not available for the partner, contact your dedicated CSM or write to hello@appsflyer.com.

If you are a partner and wish to receive af_uninstall events, contact your dedicated PDM or reach out to partners@appsflyer.com.