Installs
A download is what Apple reports when someone gets your app from the App Store. An install is what your app sees when it actually lands on a device and runs. The two numbers are close but never identical, and the gap tells you something.
Updated
In Adapty Ads Manager, Installs sits in the Conversions group, next to trials and subscriptions, because it is captured from the app side rather than reported by Apple Ads. Downloads, by contrast, come from Apple Ads and sit with the other performance metrics such as taps and CPT.
What Installs counts
- First installs by new users.
- Reinstalls by existing users who deleted the app and installed it again.
- Installs by the same user on more than one device, each counted separately.
- Only completed installations. Downloads that are interrupted or cancelled before the install finishes are not counted.
Installs CR formula
Installs CR compares the installs Adapty captured with the downloads Apple Ads reported for the same campaign, ad group or keyword. It is a check on how much of the reported download volume actually reaches your app.
If there are no downloads in the period, Ads Manager shows 0% rather than an error. Spend divided by installs gives CPI, cost per install, which the adapty.io glossary covers in depth.
Why Apple downloads and Adapty installs differ
The two numbers measure different events from different sources, so a gap is expected. The usual causes:
- Different events. Apple counts a download when the user gets the app from the store. An install is recorded when the app is on the device and the SDK can report it, which requires the download to complete.
- View-through downloads. Total Downloads in Apple Ads includes downloads from users who saw the ad without tapping it within a 24-hour window. Those users are real but may never open the app.
- Attribution windows. Apple counts tap-through downloads within a 30-day window. A user who taps today and downloads later is attributed to the tap date, while the install happens later, so daily numbers can drift between periods.
- Redownloads and devices. Apple distinguishes new downloads from redownloads, and Installs counts reinstalls and additional devices. How each side treats the same person on two devices can differ.
- Attribution coverage. An install that cannot be matched to a campaign is not credited to it, which lowers Installs for that keyword.
Why installs matter for subscription apps
An install is the first point where you can observe a user inside your product. It is the start of the funnel that leads to a paywall view, a trial, a subscription and revenue. Downloads tell you what you paid Apple for; installs tell you what arrived.
Most conversion rates in Ads Manager, including Trial CR and Subscription CR, use total downloads as the denominator so they line up with Apple’s data. Installs gives you a second view of the same traffic from the app side, which helps when you reconcile Apple Ads with your own analytics or an attribution provider.
Improving the install-to-subscriber path
- Keep the app size and first launch light. Large downloads are more likely to be abandoned on slow connections.
- Watch view-through share. A campaign with many view-through downloads may show a lower Installs CR without anything being broken.
- Compare by keyword, not only in aggregate. A single keyword with a very low Installs CR can reveal a misattributed or low-intent source.
- Judge the outcome on trials, subscriptions and cohort ROAS. Installs are a step in the funnel, not the goal.
Related metrics
Installs sits alongside Downloads (Total, Tap-Through and View-Through), Redownloads, Trials and Subscriptions in Ads Manager. CPI and cost per trial turn those counts into acquisition costs.