[UA] Limits of User-ID views & Cross Device reports [Legacy]

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This information only applies to User-ID enabled properties.
The report is visible only in User-ID enabled views in those properties.
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User-agent change to iOS 13

As of September 2019, Apple changed the user agent for the iPad so that it appears as desktop traffic. This change will cause a decrease in iPad tablet traffic and an increase in Safari desktop traffic. Since iPad users will be receiving desktop sites by default, this change in reporting matches the user experience.

User-ID views only display data for sessions in which an ID is sent to Analytics

A User-ID view is a special reporting view that doesn't include all of your data. These views only include data from sessions in which a user ID (and related data) is sent to Analytics. To analyze all of your data -- including data from sessions in which an ID is not sent to Analytics -- use a different view.

Users are calculated differently in User ID views

Each ID sent to Analytics is counted as a unique user. This means that all engagement activity associated with the same ID is attributed to one user, even if these activities occur over several sessions and devices over an extended period of time.

Although this more accurately reflects the real way users engage with online content, the total number of users reported in a User-ID view are likely to be different than the total number of users you see reported in a non-User-ID view, or in another analytics solution.

The date range is limited to 90 days in the Cross Device reports

In all of the Cross Device reports, the date picker is limited to 90 days. If you know you need to analyze data older than 90 days, export your reports on a regular basis and save them to compare to future data.

Cross Device reports are only available within a User-ID view

There are three Cross Device reports: Device Overlap, Device Paths, and Acquisition Device. These reports display data collected during sessions in which a user ID is sent to Analytics. These reports are only available in a User ID view.

Revenue is attributed differently in the Cross Device reports than in other reports

The way revenue is attributed in the Cross Device reports is different than the way it's attributed in any other Analytics report. In a Cross Device report, a transaction needs to start on a device for any revenue data to be attributed to that device. For example, in the Cross Device report called Acquisition Device, the metric called Revenue from Originating Device only includes revenue from transactions completed on a device if it was the first device used during the selected date range of the report. In other reports, the revenue metrics for a device include all of the transactions completed on that device.

The device categories in the Cross Device reports are defined by Analytics

There are three device categories that can appear in the Cross Device reports: Mobile, Tablet, and Desktop. Laptops are included in the Desktop category. These categories are automatically defined by Analytics based on signals from specific devices. You can’t change these definitions or reclassify devices into different categories. You can, however, use custom dimensions to create your own device categories.

Different web browsers on the same device are counted as unique devices in the Cross Device reports

Different web browsers on the same device, including instances of incognito and private browsing, are counted as unique devices in the Cross Device reports. For example, if a user signs in on two different browsers on the same laptop, two unique devices are attributed to that one user ID.

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