Before You Start
⚠️ Important: You must have access to the developer accounts used to publish your branded app.
Swapcard does not host download data on your behalf — these numbers live inside Apple's and Google's developer consoles, which are owned and controlled by your organization.
Before proceeding, confirm that:
Your Apple Developer account (App Store Connect) is active and your branded iOS app is published.
Your Google Play Console account is active and your branded Android app is published.
The person retrieving the data has been granted the correct role (see notes in each section below).
💡 If you're an event organizer and don't have access yet, ask your account administrator to invite you under Users and Access (Apple) or Users and Permissions (Google).
Getting Download Numbers from App Store Connect (iOS)
App Store Connect reports unique first-time downloads per Apple ID/device — the most accurate measure of how many distinct users installed your iOS app.
Step-by-Step: How to Retrieve iOS Downloads
Go to App Store Connect and log in with the developer account credentials.
Click on Apps and select your branded app.
Navigate to Analytics from the top menu.
Click on App Analytics.
Select the Metrics tab.
Under the metrics list, choose Downloads.
💡 This reflects unique first-time downloads per device — re-downloads on the same Apple ID are not counted.
7. Set your desired date range (all time, custom range, last 7/30/90 days, etc.).
8. The number shown under Downloads = unique first installs per Apple ID/device.
Access Requirements
Note: If the organizer doesn't have access, they may need to be added as an Admin or App Manager role in App Store Connect under Users and Access.
Getting Download Numbers from Google Play Console (Android)
Google Play Console reports unique device installs, which tracks installs per distinct device rather than counting re-installs.
Step-by-Step: How to Retrieve Android Downloads
Go to Google Play Console and log in.
Select your branded app from the app list.
In the left menu, go to Statistics (under the "Grow" section).
In the metrics dropdown, select Unique device installs.
💡 This tracks unique devices, not re-installs — giving you a clean count of new users.
5. Set the desired date range.
6. (Optional) Export the data as a CSV by clicking Export in the top right of the page.
Access Requirements
Note: If the organizer needs access, they should be added under Users and Permissions in the Play Console with at least:
View app information
Download bulk reports permissions
Understanding the Metrics
Both stores measure "downloads" slightly differently — knowing what each one counts will help you report accurate, comparable numbers.
Platform | Metric Name | What It Counts |
Apple App Store Connect | Downloads | Unique first-time downloads per Apple ID/device. Excludes re-downloads, updates, and family-share installs. |
Google Play Console | Unique device installs | The number of unique Android devices that have installed the app at least once. Re-installs on the same device are not double-counted. |
💡 Tip: When sharing a combined total with stakeholders, add the iOS Downloads number to the Android Unique device installs number for the same date range. Avoid using Apple's "Total Downloads" or Google's "Install events" — those include re-downloads and inflate the figure.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Reporting "Total Downloads" instead of unique downloads: Apple's "Total Downloads" and Google's "Install events" both count repeat installs and will overstate your true reach.
Mismatched date ranges: Always apply the same date range across both stores before combining numbers.
Forgetting timezone differences: App Store Connect uses Pacific Time (PT) and Google Play uses UTC by default. For tight reporting windows, this can cause minor discrepancies.
Insufficient permissions: Viewer-only access in either console may hide the Analytics or Statistics sections. Confirm the user has the correct role.
Pulling data too early: Both Apple and Google process analytics with a 24–48 hour delay. Recent data may not be final.
After Setup
Once you've retrieved the numbers:
Combine the iOS Downloads + Android Unique device installs for your total branded app installs.
Use the date filters consistently if you're running a recurring monthly or post-event report.
Export the data as CSV (Google Play) or take a screenshot (App Store Connect) for your records.
💡 Need help comparing app installs against event engagement? Pair your download numbers with your Swapcard event analytics to better understand how many of your attendees installed and used the branded app.