Privacy Sandbox for Android is Google's multi-year initiative to introduce privacy-preserving alternatives to GAID-based ad tracking on Android. Announced in February 2022, the project's goal is to give the Android ecosystem something analogous to Apple's SKAdNetwork — attribution and targeting that work without exposing device-level identifiers — but on a longer rollout timeline with more developer / advertiser input baked into the design process.
Three core APIs in Privacy Sandbox
- Attribution API (formerly Attribution Reporting): SKAN-like aggregated install attribution. The ad network gets aggregated postbacks indicating which campaigns drove conversions, without identifying individual users. Includes event-level + aggregatable reports with privacy budgets.
- Topics API: on-device interest-based ad targeting. The device locally classifies user activity into "topics" (e.g., "sports", "cooking", "fintech"); apps can request the user's topics to serve relevant ads, without raw activity exposure.
- Protected Audiences API (formerly FLEDGE on web): on-device audience activation for retargeting. Audiences are computed on-device; ad-serving decisions happen locally. The browser / OS never sends raw user data off-device.
Plus supporting APIs: SDK Runtime (sandboxed third-party SDK execution), Shared Storage (cross-app data sharing with privacy controls), Aggregation Service (privacy-preserving cross-report aggregation).
Design differences from Apple's SKAN
- Longer transition period: Apple rolled out ATT in a single iOS update (14.5, April 2021), instantly transforming iOS attribution. Google is phasing Privacy Sandbox over years (2022-2027+), with extensive developer beta testing and feedback.
- More developer input: Google held open-comment periods, working groups with major ad networks and MMPs, and iterative design changes based on industry feedback.
- Hybrid coexistence: GAID continues to work during transition; advertisers can use both old (GAID-based) and new (Privacy Sandbox) attribution in parallel.
- Different optimization model: Apple's SKAN is install-anchored with strict postback windows. Privacy Sandbox Attribution API is more flexible — event-level vs aggregatable reports, configurable privacy budgets.
2026 status
- Developer beta testing throughout 2024-2026.
- Major MMPs (AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular) building Privacy Sandbox support; integration documentation available.
- Some early-adopter campaigns testing Attribution API in parallel with GAID-based attribution.
- GAID still broadly available; no forced deprecation date publicly announced as of mid-2026.
- Most mobile-app advertisers operate Android attribution primarily on GAID, with Privacy Sandbox as an emerging measurement signal.
What to do now
- Get familiar with the APIs — start with the Attribution API and SDK Runtime. These will have the biggest direct impact on mobile-app advertisers.
- Work with your MMP — major MMPs are building Privacy Sandbox support; understand their integration roadmap and beta-test programs.
- Test in parallel — once your MMP supports it, run Privacy Sandbox attribution alongside GAID-based attribution. Compare results, identify gaps.
- Invest in first-party signal regardless — CRM, web-to-app, owned-channel measurement matters more as third-party tracking fades on both platforms.
Privacy Sandbox for Android — the three core APIs
| API | What it does | iOS analog | Impact for mobile UA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attribution API | Aggregated install attribution without device IDs — Apple-signed postback equivalent | SKAdNetwork | Replaces GAID-based deterministic attribution over time |
| Topics API | On-device interest classification (e.g., "sports", "fintech") shared with advertisers via the device, not user-tracking | No direct analog (closest: ATT-restricted contextual) | Replaces third-party-cookie-style interest targeting |
| Protected Audiences API | On-device audience activation — retargeting and lookalikes computed locally without sending raw data off-device | No direct analog | Replaces cross-app retargeting |
Phased rollout 2022-2027 with extensive developer beta testing; GAID continues working in parallel during transition. Major MMPs (AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular) are integrating Attribution API support now.