What is AdAttributionKit, and what changes for your iPhone ads?
If SKAdNetwork was a basic sealed ballot box, AdAttributionKit is the upgraded version: still sealed, but it can also count returning voters and works at more polling stations.
What AdAttributionKit is
AdAttributionKit is Apple's current tool for measuring app ads on iPhone and iPad without tracking people. It came out with iOS 17.4 in 2024. It builds on SKAdNetwork, the older framework, and Apple now points developers to AdAttributionKit for app ad campaigns.
Apple's AdAttributionKit documentation says it works for ads in the App Store and in alternative app marketplaces, which are allowed in the European Union.
How it works, simply
The idea is the same as SKAdNetwork. An ad network signs its ad. A person taps or watches it. If they install or reopen your app, the phone later sends a postback (a privacy-safe report) to the ad network, and to you if you opt in. The report says the conversion happened and can include a conversion value that your app sets to describe how valuable the user is.
Apple decides how much detail each report can include, based on how many people the campaign reached. Small campaigns get less detail. No user or device data is ever included, and apps do not need the tracking permission prompt to use it.
What is new compared with SKAdNetwork
- Re-engagement. From iOS 18, it can measure ads that bring existing users back into the app, not only new installs. Apple says you can receive up to three postbacks for these.
- Alternative marketplaces. It works for apps distributed outside the App Store where that is allowed.
- More ad formats. Apple lists images, video, audio and interactive ads.
- More control in 2025. Updates added settings to tune attribution windows, a way to handle overlapping re-engagement campaigns with conversion tags, and better developer testing tools. Some postbacks can now include a country code when privacy thresholds are met.
Apple's attribution windows are simple to remember: a tap on an ad can get credit for an install within 30 days, and a view without a tap within 24 hours, according to Apple's ad attribution guidance.
AdAttributionKit vs SKAdNetwork
| AdAttributionKit | SKAdNetwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum iOS | 17.4 (re-engagement needs 18) | 11.3 (v4 features need 16.1) |
| Install measurement | Yes | Yes |
| Re-engagement measurement | Yes | No |
| Works in alternative marketplaces | Yes | No |
| Apple's direction | Where new features land | Maintained, interoperable |
For a founder, the practical message is short: Apple keeps adding new measurement features to AdAttributionKit, not to SKAdNetwork, so new campaign plans should assume it. Your developers rarely need to call it directly; your measurement partner usually does that.
The two frameworks are interoperable, so a network can keep using SKAdNetwork while it adds AdAttributionKit. You do not have to switch everything overnight.
What it is good for
- Measuring iPhone install campaigns for people who decline tracking.
- Measuring retargeting campaigns on iOS, which SKAdNetwork could not do.
- Apps sold through both the App Store and EU alternative marketplaces.
Where it still falls short
- Data is delayed and grouped, so it is not real-time.
- You still get small numbers, not customer journeys.
- It only helps if your ad networks have adopted it. Apple advises asking each network whether it supports AdAttributionKit.
Cost and timeline for your app
It is free and part of iOS. Most apps handle it through a measurement partner such as Adjust or AppsFlyer, whose SDK updates conversion values for you. The real work is deciding which early actions to report and checking that each network you use is ready. Plan this before your first iOS campaign, not after.
How Appryze uses AdAttributionKit
For iPhone apps we plan one conversion value map that works for both AdAttributionKit and SKAdNetwork, so reports stay comparable while networks finish moving over. We confirm support with each network before launch and report weekly in writing. See our app marketing service.
Common questions
Do I need to switch from SKAdNetwork to AdAttributionKit?
Apple recommends AdAttributionKit for app ad campaigns, but the two are interoperable, so there is no hard cut-off you must race to meet. In practice, your ad networks and measurement partner handle much of the switch. Ask each one about its AdAttributionKit support.
Which iOS versions support AdAttributionKit?
AdAttributionKit launched with iOS 17.4. Re-engagement measurement, which credits ads that bring existing users back into an app, needs iOS 18 or later. People on older iOS versions are still measured through SKAdNetwork.
Does AdAttributionKit share user data with advertisers?
No. Postbacks never include user-level or device-level data. Apple limits detail based on campaign size so no single person can be identified. You see grouped results and conversion values, not individual people.
Can Android apps use AdAttributionKit?
No. AdAttributionKit is an Apple framework for iPhone and iPad apps. Android measurement uses different tools, such as Google Play's install referrer and mobile measurement partner SDKs like AppsFlyer, Adjust or Branch.
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