Does the Facebook SDK use IDFA for Mobile App Installs?

Question

When you integrate the Facebook SDK to track Mobile App Installs, does this use the IDFA and hence do you have to answer yes to the corresponding question in iTunes Connect question when submitting the app for review?

This is the code in application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:

[FBSettings setDefaultAppID:FB_APP_ID_NSTRING];
[FBAppEvents activateApp];

In my Facebook dashboard, my app is configured with Yes under "Install Insights" and "Enable Enhanced Interest Targeting":

The iTunes Connect question I refer to is shown here:

There are plenty of questions here about IDFA, but none (as far as I could see) that clarifies whether using the Facebook SDK solely for Mobile App Installs does make use of the IDFA.

Solution

Only under certain situations. See Facebook's FAQ:

Does Facebook’s SDK for iOS access the IDFA?

• The Facebook SDK includes code to access Apple’s Advertising Identifier (IDFA), but that code is only executed in certain situations.
• The Facebook SDK for iOS only accesses IDFAs in the following scenarios: 1) if your app serves ads within the app through Facebook’s Audience Network, or 2) if your app logs app installs or other mobile App Events in order to attribute those events to your ad campaigns.
• If you are not logging App Events (via the FBAppEvents class), then the Facebook SDK is not accessing the IDFAs. Additionally, the Facebook SDK does not require AdSupport.framework to be included.
• If you want to track App Events without collecting IDFA, you can disable IDFA collection within your app dashboard in the advanced setting section.

Comments

[Lejdi Prifti]

Yes it uses IDFA for tracking Mobile App Installs.

[Clafou]

Thanks, glad to see they've documented this now. In my case I use FBAppEvents.activateApp() which tracks install events, so it's a yes to the iTunes Connect IDFA question.

[kinshukkar]

From the above answer - If I disable collection of IDFA from the Advanced settings. It should not collect, even though I log FB App Events, like installs. But, in the advanced settings, it states - Note: if you are running or have run Facebook mobile app ads in the previous 28 days, the IDFA will automatically be collected through the Facebook SDK, even if this setting is set to 'no'. Conflicting statements. Not sure which is applicable. I have Mobile ads running and log Events, but I have disabled IDFA collection from the settings.

[daspianist]

For app submission purposes on iTunes Connect, if you use the Facebook SDK, you need to answer "yes" to the IDFA question facebook.com/help/audiencenetwork/414857395387956

[V V]

I use FBSDKCoreKit framework in my app to track events like app install and app launches for Ad campaign. I got below response from FB. No - Serve advertisements within the app Yes - Attribute this app installation to a previously served advertisement Yes - Attribute an action taken within this app to a previously served advertisement. (developers.facebook.com/support/bugs/219041122320629/…)