Apple gives developers more analytics data

Apple is now providing developers who distribute their apps via the App Store with more figures. The iPhone manufacturer is thus fulfilling a promise from last year's WWDC developer conference. It is the biggest update to the analytics area since the launch of the developer portal App Store Connect. And it primarily targets developers who offer in-app purchases and subscriptions via Apple's payment system.

Data on conversion, marketing, and revenue could not be consolidated in a privacy-compliant manner anywhere else, praises Andy Weekes, developer of the app Night Sky. For him, the analytics data are a kind of health check for his company. He needs reliable data to understand his revenue situation.

Over 100 new metrics

The over 100 new metrics allow for cohort analysis, among other things. This enables groups of users who, for example, downloaded an app in a specific month to be compared with each other. Developers can use this to investigate, for instance, after how many days the respective user groups have subscribed. In this way, the success of promotions or changes in the app can be measured.

Developers can also view new peer benchmarks. These show them how their app performs compared to similar apps – without revealing sensitive data from other developers. This can be used to evaluate how many users who download an app become paying customers (download-to-paid conversion) and how much revenue an app generates on average per download (proceeds per download).

No extra charge for developers

This all sounds quite complicated to a layperson. But Apple has prepared everything in such a way that someone without a business background can understand it, says Frederik Riedel, developer of the app One Sec from Berlin, who participated in the App Store Foundation Program in the past. Bastien Cazenave, co-publisher of the game Sorcery School, who, like the other two developers, was able to briefly test the new analytics beforehand, is also pleased: It's a whole new level of detail that opens up to developers. And moreover, the analysis data are free.

Of course, Apple's commitment is unlikely to be entirely selfless. Regulators in various countries have been urging Apple for years to open up its closed system to external providers who handle payments and subscriptions. In addition to the promise of data protection for users, the expanded analytics now add an extra value for developers, with which Apple further expands its platform advantage. Some developers may have previously relied on external paid providers.

(mki)