Quickstart-ios: Firebase and IDFA Apple Review

[Aximem]

This is not an issue but a question :
Firebase includes admob and when you type fgrep -R advertisingIdentifier . You can see :

Binary file ./Pods/FirebaseAnalytics/Frameworks/FirebaseAnalytics.framework/FirebaseAnalytics matches

So even if you don't use Admob, the framework has "advertisingIdentifier" which could be a reason for Apple to reject your app. I can't find a clear answer saying "You should check YES to IDFA and cases 1 ... if you use Firebase / or NO" in case you don't use it.

Does anyone know what to do ? Thanks

[baolocdo]

Having such string doesn't mean that it uses advertisingIdentifier wrongly or Apple will reject your apps. I haven't seen Apple rejects apps with Analytics because of that. Analytics SDK respects users' choice if they opt out of Ad Tracking. Also, if users turn off the Ad Tracking, "the value of the advertising identifier is 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" (https://developer.apple.com/reference/adsupport/asidentifiermanager). If you don't link Ad Support framework, Analytics won't use the IDFA.

[Aximem]

@baolocdo Thank you so much, finally a clear answer, I couldn't find an answer about this (maybe because it was obvious) but thanks.

[bushev]

@Aximem @baolocdo Hello, guys!

What is your solution?

Right now I can't submit my application with FirebaseAnalytics.framework (iTunes detects advertisingIdentifier). My application is Ad-free, so I can't click "Yes, I use" near "IDFA" too...

[baolocdo]

@bushev, did your app get rejected by Apple? What is their reply? Thanks

[rsattar]

The Analytics SDK will only use the advertisingIdentifier if and only if the AdSupport.framework is linked into your app, following the rules that Apple sets out. If you are not including AdSupport.framework, then you don't have to worry about saying "Yes, I use IDFA" before submitting to Apple.

Firebase does recommend that you _do_ include it, even if you aren't serving ads (it doesn't enable ads in your app). It provides some additional information about your user, that you can see in your Analytics. However, it's still totally optional.

https://firebase.google.com/support/guides/analytics-adsupport

[bushev]

@rsattar thanks a lot. I'm trying to pass review using this https://github.com/firebase/quickstart-ios/issues/298#issuecomment-309483700 recommendation.

[itsmeonline]

@rsattar Thanks for the heads up. We have linked in AdSupport.framework in our app, for the purposes of enhanced Firebase Analytics (e.g. without serving adds)

Question: After selecting Yes to "Does your app use IDFA...?"
Are you aware which options should be selected for such case?
(Thanks in advance)

Edit: Ok I see this linked open issue
https://github.com/firebase/quickstart-ios/issues/298#issuecomment-309483700

@bushev
How did you get on - app accepted/published OK?

[lsalvoni]

Also stuck in this situation; grepping the project folder says FirebaseAnalytics.framework and libAdIdAccessLibrary.a of GoogleIDFASupport pod uses the advertisingIdentifier.

[iad24]

@itsmeonline Im on this situation now. Which one did u select to get approved?

[lsalvoni]

@iad24 Hey, I have submitted apps for review since my comment, and got through successfully with the following:

Does this app use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)? -- selected Yes

Then from the three additional statements that appear:

Serve advertisements within the app -- selected No
Attribute this app installation to a previously served advertisement -- selected No
Attribute an action taken within this app to a previously served advertisement -- selected Yes

Our app does not serve any ads whatsoever but does use the Firebase SDK for analytics. Hope this helps!

[itsmeonline]

@iad24

Yes I can also confirm 'similar to Luke', that I have published
successfully (multiple builds) via the following settings:

Does this app use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)? -- selected Yes

• Attribute an action taken within this app to a previously served
  advertisement -- selected Yes
• Attribute this app installation to a previously served advertisement --
  selected Yes

On 30 August 2017 at 14:26, Luke [e-mail] wrote:

@iad24 https://github.com/iad24 Hey, I have submitted apps for review
since my comment, and got through successfully with the following:

Does this app use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)? -- selected Yes

Then from the three additional statements that appear:

Serve advertisements within the app -- selected No
Attribute this app installation to a previously served advertisement --
selected No
Attribute an action taken within this app to a previously served
advertisement -- selected Yes

Our app does not serve any ads whatsoever but does use the Firebase SDK
for analytics. Hope this helps!

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[iad24]

@lsalvoni @itsmeonline thanks guys =)

[AEiosApp]

One more proof from me.
Just passed apple review with a new app:

• app contains Firebase
• app doesn't use ads in any way (only for analytics).

Then, similar steps like @lsalvoni did

Does this app use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)? -- selected Yes

Then from the three additional statements that appear:

Serve advertisements within the app -- selected No
Attribute this app installation to a previously served advertisement -- selected No
Attribute an action taken within this app to a previously served advertisement -- selected Yes

[akshayk80]

Thanks @Isalvoni
I followed your steps and got approved within 10 hours of submission.
I used Firebase just for Analytics purposes, no adds at all.

Does this app use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)? -- selected Yes

Serve advertisements within the app -- selected No
Attribute this app installation to a previously served advertisement -- selected No
Attribute an action taken within this app to a previously served advertisement -- selected Yes

[maziyarpanahi]

I am not sure which Pod specs others are using, but I am using Firebase/Core only and just submitted my app with the following:

Does this app use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)? -- selected NO!

It got approved in one day.

Hope it helps.

[balkarov]

Hello.
I use

pod 'Firebase/Core'
pod 'Firebase/Database'

And have the same problem.
I choose that:

Does this app use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)? -- selected Yes

Serve advertisements within the app -- selected No
Attribute this app installation to a previously served advertisement -- selected No
Attribute an action taken within this app to a previously served advertisement -- selected Yes

But I not sure that is right.

[maziyarpanahi]

@balkarov If you are not using any Ads or IDFA in your app, meaning you are not using any Firebase APIs to deal with ads in any way I don't think you should say Yes to the IDFA question.

[balkarov]

If I choose NO Apple say me my app uses IDFA. But when I remove Firebase from app then all ok.

[ToddKerpelman]

DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert at Apple Review policies, and this is just my personal educated guess:

If you've linked the AdSupport framework, then your app is using the IDFA.

For that first question (are you serving ads), that's really up to you and if your app is serving ads

If you've linked the AdSupport framework, Firebase automatically uses this IDFA in order to attribute the app install to a previously served advertisement, so you can say yes to the second question.

If you've linked the AdSupport framework, Firebase uses this IDFA to attribute in-app purchases and ecommerce purchases to advertisements, along with any other conversion events you might have added in Analytics. So you will probably want to say yes to the third question if your app has in-app purchases.

Firebase does honor the Limit Ad Tracking setting.

[maziyarpanahi]

Exactly, I have had the same experience with Firebase. I’m not linking adSupport framework so I answered no.

[paulb777]

Related discussion at https://github.com/firebase/firebase-ios-sdk/issues/1686 - since iOS11, apps that link SafariServices, will implicitly link the AdSupport framework.