Apple has just announced perhaps the largest update to its App Store Connect Analytics since the tool"s inception. The new update adds a refreshed user experience, over 100 new metrics, and highly requested benchmarking tools, giving developers more insights into how their apps and games perform.
Developers will now be able to access more than 100 new monetization-focused metrics. Previously, developers had to rely on third-party analytics platforms to understand how well their offers were actually converting, which is something that Apple will now be surfacing natively.
One of the most significant additions to the analytics suite is the introduction of "cohort capabilities," where developers can group users by attributes such as their initial download date, the source of their download, or when they initiated a trial offer. For example, if a developer expands their hit game into a new regional market, they can now use cohort tracking to see exactly how long it takes users in that specific region to convert into paying customers compared to established markets.
The update also introduces "peer group benchmarks" that lets creators discover how their apps stack up against similar apps in the marketplace, which lets developers get a look at their competition.
However, Apple is utilizing cryptographic privacy techniques to prevent developers from reverse-engineering a competitor"s exact revenue. The approach injects calculated noise into the dataset, protecting individual developer performance while still outputting highly accurate, actionable industry averages.
Apple also introduced two new subscription reports that can be exported via the Analytics Reports API, using which large studios can directly use the raw data to feed their proprietary analysis systems. Smaller developers can also check Apple"s App Store Analytics Guide to get a more comprehensive insight.
Over the past two years, Apple has been forced to give up part of its walled garden, such as allowing EU users to download iOS apps directly from developer websites, and complying with new age-verification mandates in regions like Texas.
Developers now also have the option to weigh the pros and cons of third-party app stores as well, and Apple"s own App Store was highly due to offer such value to justify its 15-30% revenue cut.