In every continent except Oceania, Android accounts for a greater share of smartphone web traffic than iOS.

Today’s smartphone users can choose from millions of mobile applications. But with so many apps available, user acquisition can be challenging for app developers, and analytics-based engagement and retention strategies are critical.

The Epic v. Apple ruling dings both companies, and the fight isn’t over: Apple has to loosen payment restrictions while Epic has to pay a fine, but Fortnite won’t return to the App Store yet.

Facebook is challenged by iOS ad measurement problems: As it reinvents how it measures ad effectiveness, the platform could see some ad dollars shift elsewhere.

The email inbox is valuable territory for marketers looking to guide consumers through the purchase journey.

On today's episode, we discuss Facebook's Q2 performance, whether Apple's iOS update has affected ad revenues, and what Facebook means exactly when it talks about its (and everybody else's) “metaverse” future. We then talk about the impact of Facebook Pay expanding to online retailers, whether Instagram Reels could come to Facebook's homepage, and some new privacy features for kids on Instagram. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer senior analyst at Insider Intelligence Jasmine Enberg.

Consumers are frustrated by intrusive or invasive ad experiences, and they’re concerned about how advertisers use their data. Here’s how consumers perceive their ad experiences across media channels, how they avoid ads, and how brands, advertisers, and publishers are responding.

Apple ad spend dips: Mobile app install ad spending on iOS devices has dropped off since the arrival of iOS 14.5 and AppTrackingTransparency. Whether marketers permanently shift budgets to Android depends on how good Apple's alternative tracking frameworks prove to be.

China is often seen as the wild west of privacy protection, where unscrupulous companies collect and trade personal data as regulators and consumers stand idly by. The Chinese government has been trying to change that, most recently by drafting a privacy law akin to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). While the implications for businesses are still murky, it’s clear that China is determined to tackle this issue its own way, at its own pace.

Apple plans to roll out a major update to iOS this spring, requiring an opt-in before apps can track users across channels. "Behind the Numbers" host Marcus Johnson turns the tables on eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Nicole Perrin to ask about the latest research on AppTrackingTransparency opt-ins, the China Advertising ID (CAID), and how advertisers are preparing.

Where is the Android OS used more than the iOS? Everywhere

Downloading apps? There’s an app for that

Advertisers, publishers, and their partners are now confronting changes to the infrastructure of platforms and devices that will have significant effects on how they do business.

As much as consumer behavior and the wider economic situation influence the app economy, Apple and Google do as well. With their commissions on in-app purchases (IAPs) and subscriptions, and with their rules surrounding data and advertising, they can make or break different monetization strategies. The changes set to take effect in early 2021 under Apple’s iOS 14, especially, have upended app monetization.

The pandemic has caused reduced advertiser spending overall, leading to lower growth of in-app ad spending despite significantly higher numbers of ad placements. While in-app purchases (IAPs) never stopped growing amid the pandemic, publisher revenues have recently been shifting from in-app advertising to purchases.

Pandora is no longer the most popular music streaming service in the US, with Spotify taking the No. 1 spot in 2019. According to eMarketer’s latest forecast on digital music listeners, the number of Spotify listeners surpassed those of Pandora two years sooner than predicted in our March 2019 forecast.

Marketers have embraced location data for several reasons. It can help personalize experiences for customers, better isolate customer paths to purchase, create better customer segments, and identify opportune moments to target potential clients. But new restrictions on collecting location data will make it more costly for advertisers in 2020.