With the introduction of iOS 14.5, Apple mandated app developers to inform users about and seek their consent for broader tracking practices. In response, Google apps ceased certain tracking methods (IDFA) in order to comply and avoid displaying the prompt. YouTube will soon present iOS users with an App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt, giving them the option to opt into “more personalized advertising.”
In the upcoming days, YouTube for iOS will present a one-time permission request – Allow “YouTube” to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites? – with two choices:
- Allow: By enabling this setting, activity from this app will be connected with activity from non-Google apps and websites to deliver personalized ads and facilitate ad measurement. This preference will be applied to all users of the YouTube app on the device where the setting is activated.
- Ask App Not to Track: Opting out of this setting will prevent activity from this app from being linked with activity from non-Google apps and websites for personalized ads and ad measurement. This may lead to a less personalized ad experience within the app, with potentially less relevant and more repetitive ads.
This prompt will not be displayed for YouTube Premium subscribers and users with child accounts on YouTube.
If users choose to “Allow,” YouTube promises a “high-quality, helpful ads experience.” This means that the ads displayed in the app may align more closely with their interests due to more precise ad measurements. By linking in-app activity on YouTube with non-Google/third-party apps and websites, advertisers can better gauge performance, ultimately benefiting Creators on the platform.
“In the near future, YouTube users on iPhone and iPad devices will have the option to opt into more personalized advertising, aligning with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency policy. We believe that this will enhance the ads experience for users while also supporting creators. Users who opt-in can disable this feature at any time.”
YouTube spokesperson
Users who select “Ask App Not to Track” – the current experience that relies solely on first-party Google data and does not fall under Apple’s ATT – will receive ads that are “less personalized” and may be more repetitive. Activity from the YouTube app will not be linked with activity from non-Google apps and websites for personalized ads and ad measurement.
To change this decision, users can navigate to iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. This setting specifically applies to YouTube and third-party apps/websites. As a first-party advertiser, YouTube/Google will continue to display personalized ads if this setting is enabled on the user’s account.
This setting does not impact the linking of activity on other Google apps (both iOS and non-iOS) and websites with activity from non-Google apps and websites. It also does not affect the use of activity from the YouTube iOS app and other Google apps and websites for ad personalization, based on the user’s Google personalized ads preference.
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