Hello Wattpadders!

If you're an iOS user, you may have recently seen an in-app prompt, which looks like this:

We are asking you to opt into this tracking as part of a recent Apple privacy update. Allowing us to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies will help us continue to offer you millions of free stories and give you a more personalized experience. If you saw the ad and clicked 'allow tracking', thank you! 

If you receive this prompt and are unsure whether you should allow tracking, here's some info to help you decide:

How do you actually track me?

Wattpad (and other apps) uses the identifier for advertisers (IDFA), which is the individual and random identifier used by Apple to identify and measure activity on iOS user devices. You can think of it as advertising cookies on the web—it enables an advertiser to know when a user has taken an action like clicking on their ad or installing their app. This helps customize the ads you see, as they will better reflect your interests.

Why should I allow tracking?

When you allow Wattpad to track your activity, you get a more personalized ads experience. Not only will that be a better experience for you, but it'll help us! As you know, running a community as big and diverse as Wattpad requires a lot of resources and technical infrastructure. Ads allow us to keep Wattpad free for everyone and provide opportunities to our writers. 

What Information is being tracked? 

The IDFA can track app-related events, such as when you install the app, and whether you've interacted with a specific ad.

How does allowing tracking help support readers, writers and all the work Wattpad does?

We rely on ads to fund the work we do to provide a library of free stories, to support writers through programs like Wattpad Stars and the Wattys, and to nurture writers' growth by helping them turn their stories into hit TV shows, movies and books. Giving Wattpad permission to track your activity across devices generates more revenue, fueling our mission to bring stories to everyone. 

How does allowing tracking help Wattpad give me a personalized ads experience?

The IDFA tracks you across all the apps that you've given it access to; by giving access to Wattpad it means we're able to add your Wattpad interests into the mix. This adds to the pool of information that advertisers can use to find the very best ad for you.

Will I still see ads if I say no to tracking?

You'll still see ads, but without your IDFA the data we share with advertisers will be less specific to your interests. That means the ads you see on Wattpad will feel less relevant to you.

Will anything about my Wattpad experience change if I decide to allow tracking?

You'll continue to see ads, and we'll continue to do our very best to make those ads interesting to you. If you decline to share your IDFA with us, you'll probably start to notice that the ads will be less relevant to your interests. Please note, allowing tracking is only valid on the device you opt-in on. So, if you opt-in on an iPhone, you would have to opt-in again on your iPad.

Why is this necessary now? 

While access to your IDFA has been the default mode on iOS until now, it will become optional after the release of iOS 14.

Will Premium or Premium+ subscribers see this message? 

No. If you are a Premium or Premium+ subscriber you do not see ads, so you will not be asked to allow tracking.

I use an Android phone. Will these tracking changes impact me?

No. The changes mentioned in this article will only impact iOS users.

So, what's next?

Depending on whether we've asked you for permission yet or not, you might see a prompt from us sometime soon in Wattpad. We value your privacy and take our responsibility of safeguarding your data very seriously. We hope you will consider allowing us to continue accessing your IDFA so that we can keep building the Wattpad you love!

Where can I learn more?

To learn more about the data that Wattpad collects, check out our privacy policy. 

Got questions? You can talk to us here! 

- Wattpad HQ