Meta: a new setting for measuring conversions on customer devices

Some advertisers now see a new option in Meta Events Manager settings: “Measure conversions on customer devices”. Based on available information, Meta uses it to collect more conversion data from mobile devices so it can attribute results to ads more accurately.

In this guide I explain where the setting is, the principle behind on-device measurement, and what to check before you switch it on or leave it enabled.

Where the setting is and what Meta says about it

The option sits in the Settings tab of Events Manager. Meta describes it briefly: it measures conversions from your ads so you can see which ads are working.

New options don’t reach every account at the same time, so you may not see it yet. The available sources don’t fully explain which data is processed on the device itself. Read the description and the links Meta shows next to the setting carefully.

How on-device measurement works

The idea isn’t new. Meta has spent several years developing privacy-enhancing technologies. One of them is on-device learning: processing happens on the phone, and individual data, such as the item purchased or an email address, isn’t sent to a remote server.

Another is differential privacy. A small amount of random “noise” is deliberately added to results. If an ad led to 118 purchases, the system might report 120 or 114. This makes it much harder to work out who actually bought.

Google’s Attribution Reporting API for Android takes a similar approach. The device itself links an ad click or view to a later conversion. It then sends ad systems only limited or aggregated reports with added noise, without an identifier that links the user across apps. Google has since announced that some Privacy Sandbox technologies will be retired, which shows this field is still evolving.

What this means for the numbers in your reports

The aim of this kind of measurement is a more complete picture of which conversions come from ads, especially on mobile. At the same time, data gathered this way is aggregated and approximate by nature.

So smaller gaps between Ads Manager figures and your web analytics or CRM are to be expected. Don’t make decisions based on a handful of conversions per day. Look at trends over longer periods and across larger groups of campaigns.

What to check before deciding

1. Open Events Manager, go to the Settings tab, and check whether the setting is there and whether it is switched on.
2. Read Meta’s description of the setting and the terms shown with it.
3. Review the privacy policy and cookie notice on your website. They should clearly state that ad platforms measure conversions.
4. Keep a solid measurement foundation: Meta Pixel and the Conversions API. If your website already has a pixel, you can set up the Conversions API for web events from Events Manager in one click, with no code.
5. Verify that Meta is receiving your events and that they are deduplicated and matched correctly.
6. Note the date of the change so you can compare the periods before and after.

In short

• The new setting is in the Settings tab of Events Manager and measures conversions on customer devices.
• This type of measurement processes data on the phone and sends aggregated, approximate results to reports.
• Expect small discrepancies in the numbers and follow trends rather than individual days.
• Before enabling it, check your privacy policy, your pixel and the Conversions API.

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