How Meta Ads Work for Mobile Apps

Documented by Meta. The steps and rules on this page come from Meta’s own documentation.

Meta has a dedicated objective for app promotion, a campaign type called Advantage+ app campaigns, and two measurement methods for iOS 14 and later campaigns. This page sets out what Meta’s pages say about each, as checked on 2 Oct 2026.

What does an app need before Meta can count installs?

Meta says the App promotion objective needs three things: an app registered on Meta for Developers, an ad account linked to that app, and the Facebook SDK with app events. If the app is not registered or linked, Meta says the ads optimize for link clicks instead of installs. The SDK is needed to optimize for, and measure, installs, app events or value.

What you can do: check all three before you spend. The related app promotion entry has the steps.

How do you choose between Aggregated Event Measurement and SKAdNetwork?

For iOS 14 and later campaigns with the App promotion objective, Meta says you choose a campaign attribution method in the ad set: Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM) or Apple’s SKAdNetwork, depending on whether your app event is eligible. The choice decides how ads are delivered, events measured and results reported. If the event is not eligible, Meta says you may need to troubleshoot AEM eligibility, or prepare your app and configure SKAdNetwork.

Meta lists what AEM supports:

1-day click attribution when you optimize for installs.
1-day click or 7-day click attribution when you optimize for app events or value.
In an Advantage+ app campaign, 1-day click attribution for installs and events, and 1-day view attribution for installs.

For SKAdNetwork, Apple determines the attribution window.

What you can do: advice, not a Meta rule, is to ask your developer which events each method accepts before you pick one.

How does reporting differ between the two methods?

Meta says AEM reporting is close to real time, and may use statistical modeling where data is partial or missing. Since 9 October 2024, Meta also sends AEM reporting to mobile measurement partners.

For SKAdNetwork, Meta says:

It does not report real-time data to Meta, and has delays of at least 24 hours.
Results are dated when they reach Meta, not when they happened.
It does not support the 1-day, 7-day or 28-day attribution windows.
Results come in aggregated at campaign level.
A/B testing is only available at campaign level.

Meta says these limits do not apply to Android or to iOS 13 and below. In an AEM campaign, you can view SKAdNetwork reporting beside it, and Meta says the two may differ.

What you can do: check which method a campaign uses before you compare it with another.

What do Advantage+ app campaigns change?

Meta describes Advantage+ app campaigns as designed to be the most efficient way to drive installs, using Meta AI for bidding, audiences and placements. Meta lists what you give up:

Targeting is limited to operating system, country and language. Gender, demographics, interests, behaviors, lookalike audiences and custom audience inclusions are unavailable.
Age is set at 18 or older (21 in some countries). You can change the minimum age in advertising settings.
A 90-day exclusion window applies: someone who installed or opened the app in the last 90 days is not eligible to see an ad for it.
Mobile app ads with the traffic, engagement, leads or sales objectives are not supported.
For SKAdNetwork campaigns, Meta lists reach, impressions, clicks and spend as delivery information. Android and non-SKAdNetwork campaigns add results.

Meta says you can upload up to 50 images, videos, playable ads or instant experiences at a time, with up to 5 texts and headlines.

What you can do: Meta suggests a split test of a constrained setup against Advantage+ on, to check whether it suits your app.

Can app ads reach teens?

Meta says Advantage+ app campaigns can’t be used to reach teens. For audiences under 18, it lists as unavailable:

Mobile app custom audiences and lookalike audiences.
The app events and value optimization goals.

App installs, impressions, reach, link clicks and offsite conversions stay available. In the EU, EEA and Switzerland, ads can’t deliver to under-18s.

What you can do: advice, not a Meta rule, is to plan an under-18 app around installs.

What else does Meta say about running Advantage+ app campaigns?

Meta’s best practices page says making changes while a campaign is in the learning phase is not recommended, and that overlapping campaigns aimed at the same audience can lead to poor delivery.

FAQ

Do I have to use Advantage+ app campaigns?

Meta presents them as one way to run app promotion, with fewer inputs. Its best practices page suggests a split test of a constrained setup against Advantage+ on. The trade is the targeting controls listed above.

Why do my iOS app results arrive late?

If the campaign uses SKAdNetwork, Meta says it does not report real-time data and has delays of at least 24 hours. Results are reported when they reach Meta, not when they happened. AEM campaigns report close to real time.

Can I use Advantage+ app campaigns to win back lapsed users?

Meta says Advantage+ app campaigns don’t support custom audience inclusions and don’t show ads to anyone who installed or opened the app in the last 90 days. Meta describes re-engagement campaigns as sales, leads and engagement campaigns with app conversion locations.