There is a big share of the user web behavior that may be getting wrong. And that is with in-app browsers. Let's use the Facebook app as an example. When someone clicks on your ad (or any external link) while using Facebook, they don't leave. At least in the majority of the cases, especially on iOS.
When a user visits your site through the Facebook app, tracking doesn't work the same. It is different from tracking within mobile browsers like Safari or Chrome.
Please bear with me.
The in-app browser is embedded within the app. This allows opening links without leaving it. This is fundamentally different from standalone browsers:
- First, cookies are separate. If we are sometimes able to match the user between the sessions, it will not work within an app.
- Same with local storage mechanisms. We cannot persist a user login or abandoned cart across standard and in-app browsers.
- Some fingerprinting techniques compare user agent these days. This is a string that a browser sends to introduce itself to the websites. And you guessed it - Facebook appends its parameters to the standard string. This means that while visiting a site from the same device and IP address, the browser will not match.
This all gives a huge advantage to the big platforms. Facebook itself knows the user. And if you have the Meta tracking pixel implemented, it can match users cross-device. And as a result - report on conversions better.
What can we do about it?
The least damage will suffer products that require user login. Storing the data outside of the browser remains the most robust solution.
Then, once the user is logged in, we can use all the power of server-side tracking. Synchronize sessions cross-device and browser and track the activity.
Another workaround is the topic that only gets more complex over time. And that is fingerprinting. For now, we can still consider different signals, timeframe to create user profiles.
Tracking users who are using the Facebook in-app browser involves challenges. Primarily, isolated storage and the unique environment of browsers cause the main problems. But the first step to fixing the issues is understanding it.
