Apple preparing new app-tracking tool per report

When it comes to mobile app development, one of the greatest things is that developers can get instant and flawlessly accurate details about sales numbers and user engagement. It's not the same as releasing something into retail; as soon as someone downloads your app, you know. But as anyone in the business worl knows, you can never have too much data.

That's why Apple is working on a brand new tool for app makers to track exactly what users are doing once they're in the app. A Wall Street Journal report tips the company's plans to improve this stream of data to developers, but didn't go beyond that so the exact details are unknown. If true, Apple could very well unveil the feature at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference.

One thing the Journal did point out is that the data being transmitted to developers will be anonymized, for the safety and privacy of users. So if you could, for example, track every single button press that every user makes while in your app, and you notice a bunch of users you'd like to target with some sort of campaign, you won't be able to do that. But you could get a nice overview on the way your app is being used and make appropriate updates. Could be interesting.

[via WSJ