Xamarin.Forms - How to check if my app uses the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)?

Paul 296

Hi everyone, I'm using Xamarin.Forms.

For iOS app, how to check whether it uses IDFA? I'm about to submit the app for Apple Review in App Store Connect.

For native iOS project (xCode), there were some commands to run like grep. How to check this in Xamarin project?

1 answer

Cole Xia (Shanghai Wicresoft Co,.Ltd.) 6,751 Reputation points

2021-01-20T07:32:30.813+00:00

Hello,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

Try grep -lr "ASIdentifierManager" * , the search may return a result saying that ASIdentifierManager was found in both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Xamarin.iOS.dll.

However , please ignore it , the Xamarin library API references the ad API but the apps aren't actually calling it they are ok and aren't counted as using IDFA.

So if you don't use any ad APIs , there is no warry .

Thank you.

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1 person found this answer helpful.
Paul 296 Reputation points

2021-01-20T09:13:31.637+00:00

Hi ColeX, thanks. May I know in which file path I should run the grep command you mentioned in your answer?

Paul 296 Reputation points

2021-01-20T09:24:27.69+00:00

By default some Analytics/Ad SDKs call the Ad API to get the IDFA, in this case, is there a way to exclude this Ad API from Xamarin.iOS.dll using Linker or any other ways so that my app does not use IDFA. Because Firebase Analytics Xamarin SDK does not have any configuration to disable IDFA in code, but its docs says that if my app doesnot link the AdSupport API then it will not call the Ad API to access the IDFA.

If you know how to do this, please answer this question here - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/232322/disable-firebase-analytics-from-accessing-idfa.html

Thanks a lot :)

Cole Xia (Shanghai Wicresoft Co,.Ltd.) 6,751 Reputation points

2021-01-21T07:53:11.023+00:00

First access into ipa folder and then use grep.

cd YOURAPP.ipa grep -lr "ASIdentifierManager" *

Check https://forums.xamarin.com/discussion/184967/ios-app-rejected-by-apple-not-getting-the-packages-that-uses-uiwebview-while-using-grep-r-uiwebv .

Hines Vaughan 1 Reputation point

2021-05-03T23:41:48.057+00:00

Thank you for the info. How do we handle libraries (such as Firebase Analytics) using the advertising ID if the AdSupport.framework is linked? Because Xamarin always links that framework, there appears to be now way to prevent Firebase Analytics from not using it, that I have been able to find.

Do we have a way to prevent Xamarin.iOS from including that framework or maybe a way to link it out of the final IPA during app creation?
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Xamarin.Forms - How to check if my app uses the Advertising Identifier (IDFA)?

1 answer