If you notice that Singular Installs are much lower than Apple Ads Tap-Through Installs (displayed as Downloads in SplitMetrics Acquire), resulting in an Install Rate (Tap-Through) below 63%, and this trend appears in both your SplitMetrics and Singular dashboards, this article will help you understand the possible causes and how to address them.
💡 Reminder. Install Rate (Tap-Through) is calculated as Installs / Downloads (Tap-Through) × 100%.
❗Important. If you notice differences between Singular and SplitMetrics, this is a separate scenario. For guidance on understanding and addressing those discrepancies, reach out to our Support team via chat on the platform.
In the sections below, we’ll outline the key Singular settings to review and how to adjust them to align with Apple Ads. Applying these best practices helps ensure your data is reliable and gives a clearer view of your actual Install Rate.
1. Attribution Lookback Window Settings
Apple Ads uses a fixed 30-day click-through window, meaning a user can be attributed to Apple Ads if they install the app within 30 days of tapping an ad. Each MMP has its own click-through lookback settings, and in Singular, the default is shorter than Apple Ads.
To match Apple Ads and make sure more installs are counted correctly, you can update this in Singular 👇
1. Go to Attribution Setup > Partner Configuration.
2. Choose Apple Ads and click Edit Configuration for the app you want to update.
3. Scroll down to Attribution Windows Settings.
4. Set Click-Through Deterministic to 30 days.
5. Save your changes.
2. Re-engagement Settings
In Singular, install and re-engagement attribution for Apple Ads is enabled automatically. The same attribution window applies to both installs and re-engagements, so if you have already set the click-through window to 30 days (as described in the previous step), no additional configuration is needed for re-engagements.
💡 What is a re-engagement?
In Singular, a re-engagement occurs when a user opens an app they have used before after a period of inactivity and clicks on a retargeting ad. This is why setting the correct inactivity period is important.
By default, the inactivity window is set to 7 days. To ensure more re-engagements are credited to Apple Ads, it is recommended to set the inactivity window to 0 days.
You can customize the inactivity window for each app by navigating to Settings → Apps.
❗Important! Even though re-engagement attribution for Apple Ads is enabled automatically in Singular, you must also enable it in your SplitMetrics Acquire integration settings to see reattributed reinstalls in SplitMetrics Acquire.
For detailed instructions, refer to the relevant 📖 Help Center article. Once enabled, the Installs column in SplitMetrics will include both new installs and reattributions, ensuring that your Install Rate (Tap-Through) reflects the correct figures.
3. SDK Settings
Some SDK configurations can affect whether installs are correctly attributed to Apple Ads. In particular, the timing of SDK initialization plays an important role in install attribution.
The Singular SDK should be initialized as early as possible when the app is first opened. If SDK initialization is delayed (for example, until after a consent prompt, login flow, or onboarding step), the initial app session may not be recorded. Since this first session is used for attribution, delaying SDK initialization can result in Apple Ads installs not being attributed correctly.
To avoid missing installs, ask your developers to review how and when the Singular SDK is initialized and ensure it starts immediately upon the first app open. You can confirm that the SDK is initializing correctly on the first app launch by following the guidance in this 📖 article in the Singular Help Center.
By configuring the attribution lookback window, re-engagement settings, and SDK initialization as described above, you help ensure that Apple Ads–driven installs are properly captured and attributed, reducing discrepancies between Singular and Apple Ads reporting.
💡 If all of these settings are in place and you still observe a lower number of installs, a deeper review of the SDK implementation may be required. For additional support or a detailed SDK review, reach out to your Singular Manager or contact Singular Support.