By 2026, the main profit in arbitrage will be concentrated in the mobile segment, and buying traffic from smartphones has become a priority for any arbitrageur. However, iOS acquisition now takes place under conditions of complete user anonymity, as Apple has permanently closed direct access to audience identifiers. Previously, buyers could see each customer’s journey in as much detail as possible and optimise campaigns quickly.  Now, they have to build hypotheses based on limited signals and aggregated reports. For this reason, the success of an advertising campaign today depends on understanding the main issues with SKAdNetwork and the ability to build warming-up funnels directly within creatives.

What is mobile traffic in arbitrage

Mobile traffic is the totality of all visits to landing pages and conversions made from mobile devices. A detailed analysis of the device model, operating system version and internet connection type allows the advertiser to build high-converting funnels and accurately segment the audience by income level.

Affiliate marketers divide this traffic into two fundamental segments: browser traffic and in-app advertising. The specific nature of the mobile environment also opens up the possibility of using system notifications and direct carrier billing, which are virtually unavailable on desktop. A smartphone is always within the user’s reach, so the transition from ad view to the final action happens faster, making this source a priority when scaling profitable campaigns.

The transformation of mobile arbitrage on iOS: IDFA and privacy

The iOS mobile traffic arbitrage market has undergone a fundamental transformation following restrictions on access to device identifiers. The discontinuation of IDFA sharing has deprived buyers of the ability to directly track conversion paths and forced the industry to seek new ways of evaluating results. Whereas previously the user’s journey from click to final conversion was fully transparent, today iOS installation attribution is limited to aggregated reports without access to personal data.

In the current climate, the only official way to track results on iOS devices remains the use of secure signals from the platform itself. SKAdNetwork is a software environment for transmitting installation data without revealing the identity of a specific user. This mechanism creates significant technical barriers in the form of long postback delays and restrictions on the transmission of data required for rapid campaign optimisation.

Optimising the internal funnel and analysing results under conditions of anonymity

The lack of detailed information about audience preferences forces advertisers to move from simple targeting settings to creating complex scenarios within the ads themselves. Well-structured creative ensures a steady flow of high-quality installs and helps maintain high campaign profitability even under strict restrictions from tracking systems. The following techniques help build a working funnel within the creative:

●      using dynamic visual hooks in the first few seconds of the video to capture the attention of the relevant audience and reduce the cost per reach;

●      gradually revealing the product’s benefits through the narrative to foster a conscious motivation to make a purchase;

●      incorporating interactive features or simple surveys within the advert to gather initial data on visitor engagement;

●      Testing various versions of the final call-to-action to identify the most effective link between viewing and registration.

High-quality conversion optimisation is impossible today without establishing a clear logical connection between the promotional content and the landing page content. Different traffic sources handle the transmission of aggregated statistics in different ways, and therefore arbitrageurs have to test separate funnels for each platform. The main criterion for success is the ROAS metric, which specialists calculate based on indirect indicators of the return on advertising spend within the affiliate network. To avoid wasting the budget whilst waiting for confirmation of traffic quality, buyers implement predictive analysis models based on the user’s first actions within the product. To verify the accuracy of such forecasts, teams use cohort analysis, which allows them to track the profitability of user groups based on their acquisition date and identify long-term patterns in their behaviour.

Conclusion

The software promotion market in 2026 demands maximum flexibility from arbitrage specialists and the ability to make the right decisions in conditions of uncertainty. Overcoming the technical barriers of modern data protection systems is only possible through in-depth analysis of indirect indicators of success and a focus on the quality of promotional materials. The skilful structuring of internal funnels within creative content helps maintain the profitability of campaigns and ensures a steady flow of high-quality leads, even in the absence of a direct connection with a specific user.