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Choose your SDK version below:

  • Apptrove SDK → Recommended for all projects (Latest: v2.x.x)
  • Trackier SDK → Will be deprecated in August 2026 (Latest legacy: v1.x.xx)

Use the tabs below for SDK-specific snippets.

Uninstall Tracking through Firebase Analytics

The Apptrove Cordova SDK supports uninstall tracking through Firebase Analytics, a feature that monitors when users remove your app from their devices, providing valuable insights into user retention, campaign quality, and potential fraud detection. By integrating with Firebase Analytics and a Firebase Cloud Function, this feature tracks uninstall events on Android using the app_remove event, enabling you to analyze churn rates and optimize marketing strategies. This section outlines how to configure uninstall tracking in your Cordova or Ionic Native application.

Alternative Method

For Firebase Cloud Messaging-based uninstall tracking, see Through Cloud FCM.

Prerequisites​

  • Apptrove Cordova SDK installed and initialized in your project (Apptrove recommended)
  • Apptrove account with access to the Apptrove Panel
  • Firebase project set up with Firebase Analytics enabled for your Android app
  • Firebase Cloud Functions configured in your Firebase project
  • Cordova 9.0 or later
  • For Ionic Native apps:
    • Ionic CLI and Capacitor
    • @awesome-cordova-plugins/core installed (Trackier legacy only: trackier plugin configured)
  • Basic knowledge of JavaScript, TypeScript, Angular (for Ionic Native), Firebase Analytics, and Cordova development

Configure Uninstall Tracking​

Uninstall tracking requires setting a common identifier (ct_objectId) using the SDK ID (Apptrove: getAppTroveId, Trackier legacy: getTrackierId), configuring Firebase Analytics to track the app_remove event, and setting up a Firebase Cloud Function to send uninstall data to Apptrove.

Steps to Configure Uninstall Tracking​

  1. Initialize the Apptrove SDK with your SDK key and environment.
  2. Retrieve the SDK ID and set it as a user property (ct_objectId) in Firebase Analytics (Apptrove: apptroveCordovaPlugin.getAppTroveId, Trackier legacy: trackierCordovaPlugin.getTrackierId).
  3. Configure Firebase Analytics to track the app_remove event as a conversion event.
  4. Set up a Firebase Cloud Function to send uninstall data to the Apptrove, following Apptrove support documentation.
TypeScript Example (Ionic Native)​
app.module.ts
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { AppTroveCordovaPlugin, AppTroveConfig, AppTroveEnvironment } from 'com.apptrove.cordova_sdk/ionic-native/apptrove/ngx';
import { FirebaseAnalyticsService } from './services/firebase-analytics.service';

@NgModule({
  declarations: [AppComponent],
  imports: [BrowserModule, IonicModule.forRoot()],
  providers: [AppTroveCordovaPlugin],
  bootstrap: [AppComponent],
})
export class AppModule {
  constructor(
    private apptroveCordovaPlugin: AppTroveCordovaPlugin,
    private firebaseAnalytics: FirebaseAnalyticsService
  ) {
    this.initializeAppTroveSDK();
  }

  private initializeAppTroveSDK() {
    const key = "your-sdk-key-here";
    const appTroveConfig = new AppTroveConfig(key, AppTroveEnvironment.Development);
    
    this.apptroveCordovaPlugin.initializeSDK(appTroveConfig).then(() => {
      console.log("AppTrove SDK initialized successfully.");
      
      // Set AppTrove ID as Firebase User Property for uninstall tracking
      this.apptroveCordovaPlugin.getAppTroveId()
        .then(val => this.firebaseAnalytics.setUserProperty("ct_objectId", val))
        .catch(e => console.log('error: ', e));
    }).catch((error) => {
      console.error("Error initializing AppTrove SDK:", error);
    });
  }
}
Firebase Analytics Service​
firebase-analytics.service.ts
import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';

declare var window: any;

@Injectable({
  providedIn: 'root'
})
export class FirebaseAnalyticsService {

  async setUserProperty(name: string, value: string): Promise<void> {
    try {
      if (window.FirebaseAnalytics) {
        await window.FirebaseAnalytics.setUserProperty({ name, value });
        console.log(`Firebase Analytics: Set user property ${name} = ${value}`);
      } else {
        console.warn('Firebase Analytics not available');
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error setting Firebase user property:', error);
    }
  }
}
JavaScript Example (Pure Cordova)​
app.js
document.addEventListener('deviceready', onDeviceReady, false);

function onDeviceReady() {
  // Initialize SDK
  const key = "your-sdk-key-here";
  const appTroveConfig = new AppTroveConfig(key, AppTroveEnvironment.Development);
  
  AppTroveCordovaPlugin.initializeSDK(appTroveConfig).then(() => {
    console.log("AppTrove SDK initialized successfully.");
    
    // Set AppTrove ID as Firebase User Property for uninstall tracking
    AppTroveCordovaPlugin.getAppTroveId()
      .then(val => {
        if (window.FirebaseAnalytics) {
          window.FirebaseAnalytics.setUserProperty({ name: "ct_objectId", value: val });
          console.log(`Firebase Analytics: Set user property ct_objectId = ${val}`);
        }
      })
      .catch(e => console.log('error: ', e));
  }).catch((error) => {
    console.error("Error initializing AppTrove SDK:", error);
  });
}

Step 2: Configure Firebase Analytics​

  1. Log in to your Firebase Console.
  2. Navigate to Analytics > Events.
  3. Ensure the app_remove event is marked as a conversion event.
  4. Verify that Firebase Analytics is correctly integrated into your Android app.

Step 3: Set Up Firebase Cloud Function​

Prerequisites​

  • Node.js 20.x or 22.x (use nvm for easy version management)
  • Firebase CLI (npm install -g firebase-tools)
  • Firebase project on Blaze plan (required for analytics triggers)
  • Google account with access to Firebase Console
  • App with Firebase Analytics SDK integrated
  • Apptrove account (for uninstall event tracking)

Set Up Node.js and Firebase CLI​

# Install Node Version Manager (nvm) if not already installed
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

# Install and use Node.js 22 (recommended)
nvm install 22
nvm use 22

# Install Firebase CLI globally
npm install -g firebase-tools

# Login to Firebase
firebase login

Create or Select Your Firebase Project​

If you already have a Firebase project for your app:​

If you need to create a new Firebase project:​

  • In the Firebase Console, click Add project and follow the steps
  • Link Google Analytics when prompted
  • Register your Android app and download google-services.json for your app

Initialize Firebase Functions in Your Project Directory​

# Create a new directory for your project (if needed)
mkdir YourProjectName
cd YourProjectName

# Initialize Firebase in this directory
firebase init functions
  • Choose:
    • Use an existing project (if you already have one) or create a new one
    • Language: JavaScript
    • ESLint: Yes (recommended)
    • Install dependencies: Yes

Prepare Your Functions Directory​

  • Your folder structure should look like this: 
    YourProjectName/
      functions/
        index.js
        package.json
        .eslintrc.js
        ...
  • If you already have a functions directory, use it.

Add the Uninstall Tracking Function Code​

Replace the contents of functions/index.js with:

const functions = require("firebase-functions");
const admin = require("firebase-admin");
const axios = require("axios");

// Set your SDK key here (or use environment variables for security)
const SDK_KEY = "YOUR_SDK_KEY_HERE";

admin.initializeApp();

// Defensive: Only export analytics trigger if available
if (!functions.analytics) {
  // This will prevent deployment errors in unsupported environments
  console.warn("Analytics triggers are not available in this environment.");
  exports.sendAndroidUninstallToTrackierApptrove = () => {};
} else {
  exports.sendAndroidUninstallToTrackierApptrove = functions.analytics
      .event("app_remove")
      .onLog(async (event) => {
      // Defensive extraction of user properties
        const userProps =
        event.user && event.user.userProperties ?
          event.user.userProperties :
          {};
        const installId =
        userProps.ct_objectId && userProps.ct_objectId.value ?
          userProps.ct_objectId.value :
          "";
        const mode =
        userProps.ct_mode && userProps.ct_mode.value ?
          userProps.ct_mode.value :
          "production";
        const cuid =
        userProps.ct_uid && userProps.ct_uid.value ?
          userProps.ct_uid.value :
          "";
        const cmail =
        userProps.ct_mail && userProps.ct_mail.value ?
          userProps.ct_mail.value :
          "";

        if (!installId) {
          functions.logger.warn(
              "No ct_objectId found in event",
              {userProps},
          );
          return null;
        }

        const url = "https://events.trackier.io/v1/uninstall";
        const data = {
          installId,
          sdkKey: SDK_KEY,
          mode,
          cuid,
          cmail,
          meta: event,
        };

        try {
          const response = await axios.post(
              url,
              data,
              {
                headers: {"Content-Type": "application/json"},
                timeout: 10000,
              },
          );
          functions.logger.log(
              "Tracked uninstall",
              {
                installId,
                status: response.status,
                data: response.data,
              },
          );
        } catch (error) {
          functions.logger.error(
              "Uninstall tracking failed",
              {
                installId,
                status: error.response ? error.response.status : "N/A",
                data: error.response ? error.response.data : error.message,
              },
          );
        }
        return null;
      });
}

Set Up Dependencies In package.json​

{
  "name": "functions",
  "description": "Cloud Functions for Firebase",
  "scripts": {
    "lint:fix": "eslint . --fix",
    "lint": "eslint .",
    "serve": "firebase emulators:start --only functions",
    "shell": "firebase functions:shell",
    "start": "npm run shell",
    "deploy": "firebase deploy --only functions",
    "logs": "firebase functions:log"
  },
  "engines": {
    "node": "20"
  },
  "main": "index.js",
  "dependencies": {
    "axios": "^1.10.0",
    "firebase-admin": "^11.0.0",
    "firebase-functions": "^3.23.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "eslint": "^8.15.0",
    "eslint-config-google": "^0.14.0"
  },
  "private": true
}

ESLint Configuration​

Create a .eslintrc.js file in your functions directory:

// .eslintrc.js
module.exports = {
  parserOptions: {
    ecmaVersion: 2020, // or at least 2015
    sourceType: 'module', // if you're using ES modules (import/export)
  },
  env: {
    es6: true,
    node: true, // if you're in a Node.js environment
  },
};
# In the functions directory
cd functions

# Install dependencies
npm install

# (Optional) Run linter and auto-fix issues
npm run lint:fix

firebase deploy --only functions
  • If you see errors about CPU/Gen 2 or function already existing as 2nd Gen: 
    firebase functions:delete sendAndroidUninstallToTrackierApptrove --force

    // After delete your function redeploy the function

    firebase deploy --only functions
  • Ignore warnings about outdated firebase-functions if you need analytics triggers.

Verify and Debug​

A. See Data in Firebase Console​

  • Go to Firebase Console
  • Select your project
  • Navigate to Analytics > Dashboard and look for the app_remove event

B. Use Analytics DebugView​

  • In the Firebase Console, go to Analytics > DebugView
  • Enable DebugView on your device: 
    adb shell setprop debug.firebase.analytics.app <your.app.package>
    # Example:
    adb shell setprop debug.firebase.analytics.app com.example.myapp
    # To turn off:
    adb shell setprop debug.firebase.analytics.app .none.
  • Open your app and trigger uninstall or other events
  • Watch for real-time events in DebugView

C. Check Cloud Function Logs​

  • Look for logs like Tracked uninstall or Uninstall tracking failed

D. Check Trackier Uninstall Log​

  • Log in to your [Apptrove dashboard]
  • Navigate to uninstall/event logs
  • Filter by installId or other user properties
  • Confirm the uninstall event was received

Tips for cloud function​

  • Analytics triggers not working?
    • Make sure you are on Blaze plan and Analytics is linked
    • Only deploy to production (not emulator)
    • Use firebase-functions@3.x and firebase-admin@11.x
  • CPU/Gen 2 errors?
    • Remove any "cpu" option from firebase.json or CLI flags
    • Delete the function if it was previously deployed as Gen 2, then redeploy
  • Dependency conflicts?
    • Downgrade firebase-admin to ^11.0.0 if needed
  • Linting errors?
    • Use npm run lint:fix and break up long lines/fix indentation
  • Function not triggering?
    • Ensure your app is setting the user property: 
      await analytics().setUserProperty('ct_objectId', trackierId);
    • Use Analytics DebugView to verify the event is sent
  • Still stuck?

Expected Outcome​

When a user uninstalls the app, the app_remove event will be logged in Firebase Analytics, and the Firebase Cloud Function will send the ct_objectId to the Apptrove. Uninstall data will appear in the Apptrove Panel, allowing analysis of churn rates and campaign quality.

Best Practices​

  • Verify Firebase Integration: Ensure Firebase Analytics is correctly set up in your app and the app_remove event is enabled as a conversion event.
  • Test in Development Environment: Use a development/testing environment (Apptrove: AppTroveEnvironment.*, Trackier legacy: TrackierEnvironment.*) to test uninstall tracking without affecting production data.
  • Secure Cloud Function: Restrict access to your Firebase Cloud Function to prevent unauthorized data transmission.
  • Monitor Uninstall Data: Regularly check the Apptrove Panel to analyze uninstall trends and identify high-churn campaigns.
  • Handle Errors Gracefully: Implement error handling for the SDK ID method (Apptrove: getAppTroveId, Trackier legacy: getTrackierId) to manage cases where the ID is unavailable.
  • Comply with Privacy Regulations: Ensure uninstall tracking complies with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws, obtaining user consent for analytics where required.

Troubleshooting​

  • Uninstall Events Not Appearing in Apptrove Panel:
    • Verify that the SDK ID method (Apptrove: getAppTroveId, Trackier legacy: getTrackierId) returns a valid ID and is set as the ct_objectId user property in Firebase Analytics.
    • Ensure the app_remove event is marked as a conversion event in Firebase.
    • Check the Firebase Cloud Function logs for errors in sending data.
  • Firebase Analytics Not Tracking app_remove:
    • Confirm Firebase Analytics is correctly integrated into your Android app.
    • Test the app on a physical device, as emulators may not trigger uninstall events.
  • SDK ID Not Set:
    • Ensure the SDK is initialized before calling the ID method.
    • Check console logs for errors related to getAppTroveId / getTrackierId.
  • Ionic Native Issues:
    • Verify the correct provider (AppTroveCordovaPlugin / TrackierCordovaPlugin) and FirebaseAnalytics providers are registered in app.module.ts.
    • Run ionic cap sync and verify the import path matches your SDK (com.apptrove.cordova_sdk/ionic-native/apptrove/ngx for Apptrove, @awesome-cordova-plugins/trackier/ngx for Trackier legacy).

For further assistance, refer to the Apptrove Documentation Portal or contact Apptrove support at support@apptrove.com.