Data sources and methodology

When you connect a store account, AppWatch reads your data through that store's own interfaces, with credentials you provide and that are stored encrypted.

• Google Play: the daily reports Play Console exports to a Cloud Storage bucket (exact installs, uninstalls, ratings distribution and crash rates) and the Google Play Developer Reporting API for app quality metrics. See the Google Play setup guide.
• App Store: the App Store Connect API and its analytics reports (downloads, sessions, ratings). See the App Store Connect setup guide.
• Steam: the Steamworks Partner API with your publisher key, for units sold, revenue, refunds and wishlist changes.
• itch.io: the itch.io API with your API key, for views, downloads and purchases.

For anything you have not connected, and for competitors, AppWatch reads what the stores show publicly:

• Google Play: the public listing, which shows installs only as a range (for example 10,000+), version, rating and rating count.
• App Store: the public iTunes Search API, which gives rating count, average rating, version and release notes. Apple does not publish download numbers, so the rating count is used as a rough proxy for popularity, never as downloads.
• Steam: the public store and Steam Web API for current players, reviews, price and release information, plus SteamSpy for owner estimates.

• Exact: anything read from your own connected store account.
• Range or proxy: Google Play public install ranges and App Store rating counts.
• Estimate: SteamSpy owner figures, and any third-party app's downloads or revenue. AppWatch does not invent download or revenue numbers for apps you do not own.

AppWatch stores a snapshot on a regular schedule and builds the charts from that history, so trends start from the day you add an app. Public data is only as fresh as the store makes it, and store APIs can lag a day or more behind the console.

Stores can change or restrict their interfaces, and public pages can be unavailable in some countries. When a source fails, AppWatch shows the last good value instead of a made-up one. Questions about a number: info@appwatch.dev.