Apple’s New App Clips

Why you need them and how they can help with your attribution.

Apple’s App Clips are a smaller, temporary version of an app that can be downloaded and launched seamlessly from an external link without any user interaction or prompt. They function as a lightweight version of an app to perform a specific task, and allow the user to eventually download the full app. 

For example, a coffee brand creates an App Clip for potential users to order a coffee without using the full app. The user can later use the App Clip again or download the full app. 

What are the App Clip characteristics and restrictions?

• Must be less than 10 MB in size
• Only one app can be associated with an App Clip at a time
• Deployed via Universal Links
• Downloaded and launched immediately with no prompt
• The device OS decides how long an App Clip remains on the device
• No IDFA or IDFV is available within App Clips

Will Kochava have a separate SDK build specifically for App Clips?

The Kochava iOS SDK is capable of performing nearly all of the same actions and functionality as it would in a normal iOS app and is used in the same way by the developer. A separate App Clip SDK is not necessary; the existing SDK can be used as-is within an App Clip. 

How App Clips benefit attribution

App Clips are launched via a Universal Link (deep link). Leveraging SmartLinks^TM, customers can host their Universal Links with Kochava. When a Kochava Universal Link launches an App Clip, the Kochava SDK is initialized and can perform functions that allow for deterministic attribution in the following scenarios: 

1. Match any App Clip activity back to the originating click
2. Match a full app install to the App Clip ‘download full app’ interaction

Deferred deep linking via an App Clip

If the app is already installed, the app will launch with a standard deep link. If the app is not installed, the App Clip will launch instead and can be used as a landing page while also passing the deep link to the app install without requesting attribution results.

How deferred deep linking will work with App Clips:

1. User clicks a Universal Link hosted by Kochava and launches the App Clip immediately
2. The deep link is surfaced within the App Clip
3. The App Clip can act immediately on the deep link, or could present the option to download the app, much like a landing page
4. If the user goes on to download the app from the App Clip, the App Clip can share the original deep link directly with the downloaded app.

App Clips create a simple and convenient experience for your users with iOS devices. For more information on App Clips please visit Apple App Clips documentation.