New API methods

Mobile Ads SDK offers a huge variety of methods, and it's time to optimize some of them. Previous versions of the SDK supported a dedicated method for loading native ads, for example, but only for mobile apps. As of this release, we will stop using this method. In its place, we are offering a method that can handle all ad types. The same goes for the other methods that we have updated — our aim was to simplify the process of loading ads and to increase the ROI for advertising on host sites.

Some APIs have simply changed their names to become more intuitive for developers. The class responsible for loading ads into the slider, for example, was previously called NativeAdUnitLoader and is now named SliderAdLoader.

The new APIs help app owners improve monetization effectiveness and help us develop new products as well. Legacy APIs in the apps cannot be used with SDK 4. For more information, see the documentation for iOS and Android.

SKAdNetwork framework support

The new version of the Yandex SDK supports the SKAdNetwork framework for iOS apps. It simplifies ad attribution and helps you serve ads that match your audience's interests. This also helps host sites increase their revenue. This framework doesn't need IDFA*, the unique device IDs that can only be accessed with explicit permission. For more information, see the Help guide.

Native rendering of rewarded videos

Rewarded video ads in iOS apps are now rendered by iOS' built-in tools. Previously, they were rendered by the external WebView component, and this slowed down the display of ads, while also consuming more of smartphones' and tablets' resources.

Loading ads from “cold starts”

A “cold start” occurs when a user opens the app for the first time after it was completely closed. It took up to five seconds for ads to load in cases like this. With the updated API, ads can load faster. The feature is currently available for Android apps, but we plan to add iOS support soon.

Load multiple ads via one request

In native advertising, you can use one request to load several different ads at the same time. This approach speeds up ad display, decreases traffic and saves smartphone battery. For more information, see the documentation for iOS and Android.

All these changes are focused on increasing the app's ad revenue. To enjoy the benefits of the new SDK, download the upgrades for iOS and Android.

* As of January 2021, Apple mandates that you request users' permission to access their unique device identifiers (IDFA). The identifiers are used by ad systems to serve ads based on user interests. We have prepared recommendations on best practices for requesting IDFA.