Notice of changes to Google Advertising ID (ADID) in Android 12

What is changing?

Reference Material: [Google Advertising ID Development Changes Guide]

Google announced that with the release of Android 12, a separate permission must be added to collect the "Google Advertising Identifier".

We will review the changes related to this and guide Definery (AdBrix) customers on what actions they need to take.

[[Citation:Risk:Medium]] Google Play announced in a policy update on December 8 that this policy will apply to devices with Android 12 and below starting from April 2022.

Change: Strengthening user opt-out options

The " opt out of ads personalization " feature previously provided on existing Android devices has been changed to the " delete advertising ID " feature starting from Android 12.

The biggest difference is that if you delete the advertising ID through this feature, you cannot obtain the advertising ID.

[Image: Google Ad ID deletion feature added in Android 12]

Response Plan: App Developer Changes

In order to respond to Android 12, Definery customers must apply the following two items.

Please refer to the content to ensure there are no issues with using advertising and analysis services.

1) Add Permission for Google Advertising ID

In Android 12, a separate permission has been added to obtain the Google Advertising ID. Definery customers must add the following permission.

Apps without added permission cannot obtain the Google Advertising ID.

<manifest>
...
    <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID" /> 
...
</manifest>

2) Apply the latest Definery SDK

Definery has released the latest SDK compatible with Android 12. You should also update the Definery SDK to the latest version along with the addition of permissions.

android {
    compileOptions {
        sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
        targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
    }
}
dependencies {
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads-identifier:18.0.1'
    implementation 'com.android.installreferrer:installreferrer:2.2'    
    implementation 'io.dfinery:android-sdk:2.5.1.4'
}

// If jetifier cannot be used

android {
    compileOptions {
        sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
        targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
    }
}
dependencies {
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads-identifier:18.0.1'
    implementation 'com.android.installreferrer:installreferrer:2.2'
    implementation('io.dfinery:android-sdk:2.5.1.4'){
      exclude group: 'com.android.support'
    }
}

Android 12 Related FAQ

Q1 If the Google Advertising ID is not obtained, is it impossible to measure attribution?

It's not A1, attribution measurement is still possible.

Since the powerful attribution model "Install Referrer" provided by Google Play Store, as well as the fingerprint method, are still available, there is no problem with attribution measurement.

Q2 If the Google Advertising ID cannot be obtained, can't the analytics service be used?

It is not A2. You can still use the analysis service.

In the Definery SDK, we have updated it to allow the creation and use of a separate ID in case the Google Advertising ID cannot be obtained. If you use the latest SDK, you can continue to use the analytics service. However, since it is an ID system dependent on the app, it cannot be used for retargeting purposes.

Integration support inquiry

If you have any questions or need support regarding the integration of Android 12 and the DeFinary SDK, please contact us at the email below and we will actively support you.

support-android12@adbrixsupport.zendesk.com