Tracking
SKAdNetwork (SKAN)
Apple's privacy-preserving mobile-attribution framework.
SKAdNetwork (SKAN, in versions 1–5; SKAN 4 launched 2023) is Apple's privacy-preserving alternative to IDFA-based mobile attribution. Postbacks come from Apple, not the MMP, with a delay of 24–72 hours and a coarse 'conversion value' field (4–6 bits depending on SKAN version). Required for any iOS UA spend post-iOS 14.5. Modern MMPs (AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular) abstract SKAN into a unified attribution dashboard.
Example
Mobile-game UA on Meta SKAN 4 sees 48-hour delayed postbacks with 6-bit conversion-value buckets — operator has to wait 2 days to see if a creative is performing, vs near-real-time on Android.