How event "first_open" in firebase analytic count?

Question

In my firebase analytic event "first_open" shows 489 download till 7th july but in play store stats it shows 347 download till 7th july, i don't know why these no. is differ.

Definition of first_open is:-

When a user opens the app for the first time.

This event is not triggered when a user downloads the app onto a device, but instead when he or she first uses it. To see raw download numbers, look in Google Play Developer Console or in iTunesConnect.

But when user open my app for first time is 489 then at play store it should also be 489 or more, i don't know why this happen?

I have doubt if some user downloaded my app and open my app, firebase event first_open count increases by 1 what if a user uninstall and after some time reinstall then is it again increases the first_open of firebase analytic.

Owain

Answer 1

There are a number of reasons why first_open counts will differ from Google Play or App Store installs. You referred to one key distinction in our documentation. You also referred to a second one -- if a user installs, opens, uninstalls and opens the app again, that will count as one install in Play and two first_opens in Firebase.

The last important distinction is that when existing users migrate to the new version of your app which includes Firebase, they will log a first_open event. And so, even though they are not new users, they log a first_open. In the near future, we will change this behavior so that such events are filtered out of your first_open event report. However, those events will still be exported to BigQuery and will carry a flag that denotes that the first_open was due to a new Firebase integration.

In any case, once the majority of your users migrate to/past this first Firebase-integrated version of your app, this will be less of a factor in your reporting.

Reina

You mentioned "In the near future...". Is this the case already as of today (Jun '17)? – Oruntha

@Oruntha according to this post #38599319, it is still the case. – Bifrost

@JérémyReynaud That post is from Jul '16 – Milliken

@Milliken so was the OP ;-) – Bifrost

@JérémyReynaud This answer and the one you linked to are both from July of 2016, whereas jones is asking if that is still the case as of June of 2017. – Milliken

@Milliken My bad you're right. Thanks for pointing it out. So I tried to find the correct answer but didn't find any new information concerning this question. – Bifrost

just raising to see if this still the case – Jacobina

@Steve Ganem as of Aug 2019 this is still the issue. +1 for the change you have described – Neritic

I think this issue is still alive. – Boltonia

it's Jan 2021.. has it release under update_with_analytics param for first_open event? the doc is a bit scares on this.. would be good to know how Firebase identifies whether it's just an Upgrade vs Fresh install <a) lifetime first install OR b) install --> delete --> re-install> – Judiejudith

It's 2023 is it still like this? I Have a huge discrepancy between first_open and installs from the play store. – Theologize