But now, with a majority of apps showing the tracking pop-up, just under half of users have opted in. 46% of users across all app categories consented to tracking, far above initial estimates that anywhere from 2% to 20% would opt-in. 80% of all iOS apps have implemented the tracking pop-up, with gaming apps leading at 91%. The sooner users are prompted, the better.

On mobile devices, CPMs for Android devices and iOS devices with the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) are higher than CPMs for non-IDFA iOS devices. Take Meta properties, for example. Among the US clients of performance marketing agency Tinuiti, Meta CPMs were 45% greater on Android than on iOS in December 2021.

Headwinds from the iOS changes have made it more difficult for the company to provide accurate ad performance readings and have led to lower growth in iOS-targeted ad spending. Still, Android-targeted spending on Facebook and Instagram has accelerated, and ad prices for Android ads have increased. Brand safety isn’t a concern for many Facebook advertisers—even if it should be.

The missing link: Meta may be working on new hardware and expanding metaverse experiences through brand promotions, but the company hasn’t indicated how it can evolve its operating system, which is currently built on a modified version of Google’s Android. Dig Deeper: For a more detailed breakdown of the metaverse and its impact on various businesses, read our Metaverse Report.

The company cites the invasion of Ukraine, data-privacy clampdowns on iOS devices, and an "industry-wide downturn" as reasons for the hiring freeze, per Protocol. Ad sales growth at Facebook plummeted in Q1 to the lowest level since the company went public a decade ago.

Caveat: Performance advertisers have been particularly squeezed by Apple’s iOS privacy changes, making it harder for advertisers to target and measure ads based on user activity across apps through the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). Silver lining: US Meta advertisers have gravitated toward ads targeted to users on the Android operating system, where third-party tracking still exists. Read more:.

Here’s how it works: Tap to Pay with Zettle lets small businesses accept payments from contactless cards and mobile wallets with their Android devices. Merchants need to download the Zettle Go app and sign up for the service through the app or from their PayPal business account. PayPal plans to bring Zettle’s softPOS product to other markets soon.

Apple, for example, has implemented sweeping privacy changes on iOS that it is adopting into its branding. Where will Big Tech fall? Many questions remain about whether Roe v. Wade will be overturned and how state laws will be enforced, but tech’s internal policies already show the industry beginning to take sides.

In Singapore and the US, Google launched the Wallet app on Android and WearOS to complement the Google Pay app. In all other markets (except India) the Google Pay app will become the Wallet app. Google Autofill—a Chrome feature that autopopulates users’ stored payment credentials on online payment forms—will give users the option to convert their cards to virtual cards.

That leaves those two major platforms to focus on their advertising businesses, which haven’t adapted well to iOS’ tracking changes or the depreciation of third-party cookies. No turning back: Tech’s reassessment of priorities will result in some shorter-term advertising revenue gains for firms with large, established consumer bases.

Facebook earnings: The company's Q2 earnings could shed light on the effects of Apple’s iOS 14.5 update, but it’s still on track to clear $100 billion in revenues by the end of the year.

It was also a month before Apple would announce its iOS ad-tracking modifications that rolled out in April 2021, which limited Meta’s ability to gauge the effectiveness of its ads. Building out its ecommerce capabilities within its ecosystem enables Meta to reclaim some of the data it lost access to in wake of Apple’s changes.

Businesses including Meta, Snap, and YouTube have already cited losses from Apple’s launch of AppTrackingTransparency in iOS 14.5, and Meta estimated that the privacy changes could cost it $10 billion just in 2022. Citing solutions: The number of companies offering identity solutions as consumer privacy concerns ratchet up has expanded.

What this means for Apple: iOS and Apple Watch device users have an added incentive to try out VR fitness apps and work toward closing their activity rings. Apple can also use this integration to develop its own VR or AR fitness service for its future goggles.

Google partnered with Motorola to release a dongle that permits wireless support for Android Auto. Why It Matters. Like the smart home, connected cars are going to be new portals to the internet. Additionally, the shift from internal combustion engines to electric motors opens a window for tech companies to compete with legacy automakers.

To track or not to track? New data on iOS app tracking opt-in rates contradicts earlier estimates, but may ultimately offer a clearer glimpse into consumers’ real behavior.

But many brands have seen their growth slow due to a host of factors, including rising digital ad costs, increasing shipping costs, and Apple’s iOS privacy changes. Focusing on profitability: While many D2C brands have viewed their stores as showrooms, Brooklinen has been careful to ensure they can turn a profit.

On today's episode, we discuss how Facebook is handling Apple's iOS14.5 update, its new 'Neighborhoods' feature, whether people will want to listen to podcasts on the blue app, organic marketing losing its shine on the larger social media platforms, what the Facebook Oversight Board's landmark ruling means, a balancing miracle, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst Sara M. Watson, and analyst at Insider Intelligence Blake Droesch.

Usage of food and drink apps has more than doubled among Android users since the onset of the pandemic, according to App Annie. That surge is fueled by an expansion of players, new delivery partnerships, and the necessity of delivery during pervasive lockdowns in Canada.

The service only just struck a deal with Roku on Monday and isn’t available on Android TVs as of this writing. The big takeaway: For now, at least, it seems news is a secondary priority for consumers when it comes to streaming. The tepid response to CNN+ comes as Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav is reshaping the company post-merger, and he may eventually shift its content over to HBO Max.

Apple changes bite: Investors were looking for signs that Meta has made headway in limiting the impact that Apple's iOS ad-tracking modifications had on its advertising business last year. The answer: inconclusive.