TikTok enables real-time iOS conversion tracking through Kochava partnership

TikTok announced a partnership with Kochava on October 21, 2025, enabling iOS real-time conversion reporting for app advertisers on the platform. The integration allows marketers to access near real-time, granular conversion data for iOS campaigns, addressing delays traditionally associated with Apple's SKAdNetwork attribution framework.

According to the announcement, app marketers running TikTok Ads can now unlock conversion insights at the ad group and creative level to drive faster optimization decisions. This represents a substantial shift from the delayed signal environment that has characterized iOS advertising measurement since Apple implemented privacy restrictions.

Technical implementation and measurement approach

The new reporting capability integrates multiple signals, including mobile measurement partner iOS-modeled conversions, into TikTok's Ads Manager real-time reporting system. Within Kochava's platform, advertisers must enable modeled attribution through configurable partner settings to activate comprehensive reporting for iOS campaigns.

Once configured, the system provides visibility into detailed performance metrics and conversion data through TikTok Ads Manager. Conversion metrics appended with "(SKAN)" reflect SKAdNetwork-attributed conversions, while other metrics derive from real-time conversion insights powered by the mobile measurement partner.

The reporting framework accounts for four attribution types: view-through attribution, engaged view-through attribution, click-through attribution, and engaged click-through attribution. This comprehensive approach contrasts with SKAN reporting, which has limited attribution window options and provides aggregated rather than granular data.

Campaign optimization benefits

According to the announcement, marketers leveraging iOS real-time conversion reporting with TikTok Ads and Kochava can expect several operational improvements. The system enables campaign optimization by overcoming SKAN data delays, allowing action on near real-time, granular signals at the ad group and creative level for quicker data-driven decisions.

The integration facilitates scalable growth by enabling iOS campaigns to run without campaign quota constraints and threshold challenges that have limited previous implementations. Advertisers gain access to advanced goal-based bid strategies, including Revamped Cost Cap and Target ROAS options that were previously unavailable under standard SKAN implementations.

Automation capabilities expand through Smart+ integration, which TikTok launched in October 2024 to help advertisers maximize performance potential through AI-powered campaign management. The real-time conversion data provides the signal density required for automated optimization systems to function effectively.

Enhanced reporting visibility

The reporting enhancements include access to conversion metrics, cost per conversion data, and conversion rate measurements. Advertisers can analyze results and costs segmented by conversion time, providing temporal insights into campaign performance patterns.

The system maintains clear separation between SKAN-attributed conversions and real-time conversions in reporting interfaces. This distinction allows marketers to understand which portion of their results derives from Apple's privacy-focused attribution framework versus mobile measurement partner modeling.

Campaign workflow simplification comes through a SKAN attribution toggle that surfaces iOS real-time conversion metrics powered by mobile measurement partner and iOS-modeled signals. This unified interface reduces the complexity of managing multiple attribution methodologies simultaneously.

Industry context and attribution challenges

Mobile advertising measurement on iOS has faced substantial challenges since April 2021, when Apple implemented the App Tracking Transparency framework with iOS 14.5. The framework requires apps to obtain user permission before accessing the Identifier for Advertisers, which historically powered deterministic attribution.

SKAdNetwork, introduced by Apple in 2018 and rebranded as AdAttributionKit in 2025, provides privacy-preserving attribution through aggregated conversion data. According to industry analysis, SKAdNetwork now covers 77% of all referral-based conversions to the App Store.

However, SKAN implementations have created operational friction for advertisers. The framework imposes delays of 24 to 72 hours before conversion data becomes available, limiting real-time optimization capabilities. Campaign quotas restrict the number of simultaneous campaigns advertisers can run, particularly affecting larger marketing organizations with complex campaign structures.

Meta activated SKAdNetwork 4.0 in June 2025 after experiencing setbacks with earlier implementation attempts. TikTok unveiled SKAN 4.0 enhancements in March 2024, demonstrating the platform's ongoing commitment to iOS measurement improvements.

Mobile measurement partner role

Mobile measurement partners have emerged as critical infrastructure providers in the post-ATT advertising ecosystem. These companies develop statistical models that estimate conversion attribution without relying on device-level identifiers, maintaining user privacy while providing advertisers with actionable insights.

Kochava operates as a badged TikTok Mobile Measurement Partner, having undergone certification processes to ensure compatibility with TikTok's advertising infrastructure. The company's modeled attribution capabilities complement SKAN data by filling gaps in the attribution picture that Apple's privacy framework intentionally creates.

Amazon DSP expanded MMP integrations in February 2024, including Kochava among supported partners for app conversion tracking. This broader industry adoption signals the growing importance of mobile measurement partners in digital advertising infrastructure.

The technical approach involves probabilistic modeling based on aggregated user behavior patterns, campaign performance data, and historical conversion information. These models generate predictions about which advertising exposures likely contributed to conversions, operating within privacy constraints that prevent individual user tracking.

Campaign structure and quota implications

The announcement specifically highlights that advertisers can more easily scale iOS campaigns without campaign quota constraints and threshold challenges. These limitations have represented significant operational barriers under standard SKAN implementations.

Apple's SKAdNetwork framework imposes conversion value thresholds designed to protect user privacy through aggregation. When campaigns fail to generate sufficient conversion volume, the system returns null values that provide no actionable information to advertisers. This dynamic has forced marketers to consolidate campaigns and limit testing, constraining optimization flexibility.

Campaign quotas under SKAN 4.0 allow advertisers to run up to 15 campaigns with 5 ad groups each, according to TikTok's March 2024 documentation. While these limits accommodate many advertisers, larger marketing organizations often require more extensive campaign structures for testing and segmentation purposes.

Real-time conversion reporting through mobile measurement partner integration potentially circumvents these restrictions by providing conversion data outside the SKAN framework's structural limitations. This allows marketers to maintain more granular campaign structures while still accessing performance insights necessary for optimization.

Bidding strategy enhancements

The integration unlocks exclusive access to advanced goal-based bid strategies that were previously unavailable or limited under standard SKAN implementations. The announcement specifically mentions Revamped Cost Cap and Target ROAS as newly accessible bidding options.

Cost Cap bidding allows advertisers to set maximum acceptable cost per conversion thresholds, with TikTok's auction system automatically adjusting bids to maintain performance within specified cost parameters. This strategy requires dense conversion data to function effectively, making real-time reporting essential for proper implementation.

Target ROAS bidding optimizes toward return on advertising spend goals, requiring even more sophisticated conversion value tracking than simple conversion counting. The strategy adjusts bids based on predicted conversion values, attempting to maximize total return while maintaining specified efficiency targets.

These advanced bidding strategies have historically struggled in iOS environments due to SKAN's delayed and aggregated reporting. Real-time conversion data provides the signal density and timeliness required for automated bidding algorithms to make accurate optimization decisions at the auction level.

Measurement ecosystem developments

The TikTok-Kochava integration represents one component of broader measurement infrastructure evolution across digital advertising platforms. Attribution challenges have intensified throughout 2025 as platforms navigate privacy regulations, operating system restrictions, and advertiser demands for unified measurement.

Meta began testing GA4 integration in October 2025, allowing advertisers to measure website actions in Google Analytics 4 after users interact with Meta advertisements. This cross-platform measurement capability addresses similar challenges around fragmented attribution data.

Marketing measurement experts increasingly recommend combining multiple methodologies including marketing mix modeling, experimentation, and attribution approaches. Each methodology offers distinct advantages across different analytical contexts.

Google reduced incrementality testing budget requirements to $5,000 minimum in May 2025, democratizing access to measurement capabilities that provide causal clarity about advertising effectiveness. These tests measure aggregate lift across user groups without requiring individual user tracking.

The convergence of these developments signals an industry-wide shift toward measurement approaches that balance privacy protection with actionable performance insights. Mobile measurement partner integration represents one pathway toward this balance, complementing rather than replacing platform-native attribution systems.

Implementation requirements

Advertisers seeking to activate iOS real-time conversion reporting must complete configuration steps in both TikTok Ads Manager and their Kochava dashboard. The announcement directs advertisers to consult Kochava support documentation or contact their Client Success Manager for guidance on related settings.

Eligibility requirements apply, with advertisers needing to reach out to TikTok Ads account representatives to check whether their iOS applications qualify for the program. This suggests the capability may not be universally available to all advertisers immediately following the October 21 announcement.

The technical implementation involves enabling modeled attribution within Kochava's configurable partner settings. This step activates the mobile measurement partner's statistical modeling infrastructure, which generates the conversion predictions that feed into TikTok's real-time reporting system.

Once configuration completes, the unified reporting interface in TikTok Ads Manager displays both SKAN-attributed conversions and real-time conversion insights from the mobile measurement partner. This consolidated view simplifies the analytical workflow that previously required reconciling data from multiple sources.

Strategic implications for app marketers

The announcement arrives as app marketers navigate an increasingly complex measurement landscape. Platform fragmentation, privacy restrictions, and attribution methodology proliferation have created analytical challenges that extend beyond technical implementation into strategic decision-making.

Real-time conversion visibility enables faster optimization cycles, allowing marketers to identify underperforming ad groups or creative assets within hours rather than days. This velocity advantage becomes particularly valuable during high-stakes promotional periods or when testing new creative approaches that require rapid iteration.

The removal of campaign quota constraints addresses a structural limitation that has forced many advertisers to compromise on campaign organization. Marketers can maintain more granular segmentation by audience, creative approach, or product category without sacrificing measurement quality or hitting arbitrary campaign count limits.

Access to advanced bidding strategies potentially improves campaign efficiency by allowing TikTok's machine learning systems to optimize toward business outcomes rather than proxy metrics. The shift from manual optimization toward automated bidding has been a consistent trend across digital advertising platforms, requiring dense and timely conversion data to function effectively.

Competitive positioning

TikTok's implementation positions the platform competitively in the iOS app advertising market. The company has consistently invested in measurement capabilities, as evidenced by SKAN 4.0 enhancements launched in March 2024 that demonstrated substantial performance improvements during beta testing.

According to TikTok's March 2024 testing data, 68% of campaigns observed both cost per acquisition reductions averaging 37% and conversion rate increases of 220% when comparing SKAN 4.0 implementations against SKAN 3.0 groups. Independent studies by mobile measurement partners positioned TikTok as a leading iOS-efficient advertising network.

The real-time conversion reporting capability builds on these earlier investments, addressing remaining operational friction points that have limited iOS campaign performance. By partnering with a badged mobile measurement partner rather than developing proprietary modeling solutions, TikTok leverages existing infrastructure while maintaining measurement independence.

Competitive dynamics in mobile app advertising increasingly center on measurement capabilities and attribution accuracy. As privacy restrictions limit traditional tracking approaches, platforms that provide actionable performance insights while respecting user privacy gain strategic advantages in attracting advertiser investment.

Privacy considerations

The integration maintains alignment with Apple's privacy requirements by avoiding device-level identifier usage. Mobile measurement partner modeling operates on aggregated data patterns rather than individual user tracking, preserving privacy protections while generating conversion predictions.

Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework requires apps to obtain explicit user permission before accessing the Identifier for Advertisers. The majority of iOS users decline this permission when prompted, effectively eliminating deterministic attribution for most advertising exposures on the platform.

Modeled attribution approaches fill this measurement gap through statistical inference rather than direct tracking. The methodology analyzes patterns across user cohorts, campaign characteristics, and historical performance data to estimate attribution probabilities without identifying individual users.

Regulatory scrutiny of digital advertising measurement continues to intensify globally. The European Commission preliminarily found TikTok and Meta violated DSA transparency obligations on October 24, 2025, affecting researcher data access and content moderation requirements.

Privacy-preserving measurement approaches like mobile measurement partner modeling align with this regulatory environment by providing analytical utility without compromising user privacy protections. The balance between measurement accuracy and privacy preservation remains a central tension in digital advertising infrastructure development.

Timeline

• 2018: Apple introduces SKAdNetwork (later rebranded as AdAttributionKit)
• April 26, 2021: Apple launches App Tracking Transparency framework with iOS 14.5
• October 24, 2022: Apple officially releases SKAdNetwork 4.0 alongside iOS 16.1
• December 3, 2023: Reddit launches SKAN 4.0 support for advertisers
• February 18, 2024: Amazon DSP Events Manager expands MMP integrations including Kochava
• March 17, 2024: TikTok unveils SKAN 4.0 enhancements for iOS advertisers
• April 10, 2025: Apple Search Ads begins registering with AdAttributionKit
• June 11, 2025: Apple expands AdAttributionKit with multiple conversion tracking
• June 22, 2025: Meta activates SKAdNetwork 4.0 requiring manual configuration
• October 13, 2024: TikTok launches Smart+ AI-powered ad optimization
• October 21, 2025: TikTok announces iOS real-time conversion reporting partnership with Kochava
• October 24, 2025: European Commission preliminarily finds TikTok and Meta violated DSA obligations

Summary

Who: TikTok and Kochava announced the partnership. App marketers running iOS campaigns on TikTok Ads gain access to the new reporting capabilities. Kochava operates as a badged TikTok Mobile Measurement Partner.

What: iOS real-time conversion reporting that provides near real-time, granular conversion insights at the ad group and creative level. The integration combines mobile measurement partner iOS-modeled conversions with TikTok's Ads Manager reporting system, enabling access to advanced bidding strategies and removing campaign quota constraints.

When: The announcement occurred on October 21, 2025. Advertisers must check eligibility with TikTok Ads account representatives and complete configuration in both TikTok Ads Manager and Kochava dashboards to activate the functionality.

Where: The reporting capability operates within TikTok Ads Manager and Kochava's measurement platform. It applies to iOS campaigns running on TikTok's advertising platform, addressing measurement challenges specific to Apple's mobile operating system.

Why: The partnership addresses delays and limitations associated with Apple's SKAdNetwork attribution framework, which provides aggregated conversion data with 24 to 72-hour delays. Real-time conversion reporting enables faster optimization decisions, removes campaign quota constraints, unlocks advanced bidding strategies, and provides granular performance visibility that SKAN implementations cannot deliver. The integration represents a response to advertiser demands for actionable iOS measurement capabilities that balance privacy protection with campaign optimization requirements.