MangoX (Mangomob): The IDFA Replacement Solution in the Era of App Tracking Transparency (ATT)

After iOS 14.5, Apple mandated that developers seek user consent to access the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) and track user behavior across other apps. This consent is presented through a popup known as the App Tracking Transparency Framework (ATT). Prior to this update, IDFA served as a guiding light in digital marketing, associating user behavior with mobile devices. However, with ATT, Apple severed the link between user data and the device, allowing users to decide whether developers could access and track relevant information, thus obscuring clear user profiles for better privacy protection.

To preserve the iOS advertising ecosystem, Apple didn't completely conceal user data but provided alternative data such as IDFV and SKAdnetwork ID for digital marketers. Simultaneously, developers and advertising platforms, including MangoX, devised solutions to maximize the commercialization of apps, such as selling contextual inventory. Before delving into these alternative solutions, let's briefly understand the roles and significance of tracking user behavior and collecting IDFA in the iOS advertising ecosystem.

User behavior tracking typically involves correlating data at the user or device level within an app with user/device data from other developers' apps. This is done to achieve targeted ad delivery and measure ad effectiveness, encompassing activities like displaying targeted ads based on user searches or sharing device location data and email lists with data brokers. However, with the introduction of ATT, developers not only lost direct access to user event information but also a crucial identifier – IDFA.

IDFA, short for Identifier for Advertiser, is a unique alphanumeric ID assigned by Apple to each user's iOS device. It plays a pivotal role in ad attribution, tracking conversion events, unique user statistics, fraud detection, and various developer tools. Following the user's update to iOS 14.5, developers could either receive the user's IDFA or a string of zeros based on the user's settings and popup choices.
How IDFA works for advertising attribution:

When users permit tracking in settings or allow tracking initially and dismiss subsequent popup requests, developers receive the IDFA. Conversely, in scenarios where users refuse tracking or on simulators and Mac OS devices, only a string of zeros is received. This change disrupted the connection between user data and devices, affecting user profiles and making targeted advertising less accurate.

Despite this, Apple didn't leave advertisers in the dark. They introduced alternative solutions such as SKAdnetwork ID and IDFV, and developers and advertising platforms began categorizing and labeling user data for targeted advertising. Users now have the ability to change their app tracking request settings, resulting in blurred behavioral trajectories and subsequently, less accurate user profiles.

While this may lead to a less personalized user experience with more irrelevant ads, it poses challenges for advertisers on the monetization side. To maintain a positive cycle in the internet ecosystem, Apple and the industry are exploring new avenues for ad attribution and user targeting, ensuring a balance between privacy and advertising effectiveness. In this transition, platforms like MangoX are at the forefront, assisting developers in adapting to the new landscape and maximizing revenue in the post-IDFA era.