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User identification is essential for a mobile application with an in-app subscription. Each subscriber should have a User ID that identifies them within your app. With Qonversion, you can use different ways to identify your users within the app based on your requirements.

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1. Qonversion User ID

Qonversion creates a unique User ID each time an app is installed and opened for the first time. To use Qonversion User ID, call the userInfo method. You can use Qonversion User ID for third-party integrations or other purposes like matching data from webhook notifications to your server. 
Qonversion.shared().userInfo { user, error in
  // use user?.qonversionId
}

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2. User ID for third-party Integrations

Qonversion SDK provides an asynchronous method to set your user ID, which will later be sent to third-party integrations you enabled. 
Qonversion.shared().setUserProperty(.userID, value: "yourSideUserId")
Use User ID for third-party Integrations to attribute events to existing users in other platforms. For managing user access across multiple devices or Apple and Google app stores, use User Identifiers.

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3. User Identity

User Identity allows cross-device & cross-platform user identification and access management.
Use the documentation below and the User Identity concept only if you want to manage user access across multiple devices or Apple, Google and Web platforms for users logged into their accounts within your apps.If you need to assign your user ID for analytical purposes, use the setProperty() method described above.
User identification is critical in building cross-platform apps where you want to manage user access based on payments across different platforms. This can be a complex task as users can log in and out of your application, use multiple devices, or reinstall the app. To provide flexible subscription infrastructure and consistent data, we have built a comprehensive solution using a combination of Qonversion IDs, your backend IDs, and the merging concept for users. Qonversion lets you identify your signed-in users and unlock premium access across multiple devices. Use the identify() method to link a user to your signed-in subscriber. Call this method every time you want to use User Identity. For example, when a user logs in. User Identity provides a convenient way of managing premium access of your existing subscribers, including the following cases:
  • A user reinstalls your app for any reason. Using the same User ID allows you to provide premium access linked to previously purchased products.
  • A user logs in on several devices. You can provide premium access based on a subscription purchased on one of his devices.
  • A user logs in on iOS and Android versions of your app. You can provide premium access based on a subscription purchased on one of the platforms.

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Logging in

When a user logs into his account, call identify(). 
Qonversion.shared().identify("your_custom_user_id")

// or the following option, if you want to get notified about the result.

Qonversion.shared().identify("your_custom_user_id") { user, error in
  // use user if necessary
}
Always use unique user ID values. Otherwise, a user can get matched to another user’s premium status.
To check entitlements for identified users, you can call checkEntitlements(). You can check the details of setting up entitlements here.

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Logging out

You need to call the logout() method to handle entitlements for an unauthorized user. Call this method when a user logs out within your app: 
Qonversion.shared().logout()
When a user logs back into his account, don’t forget to useidentify() method again.

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Examples

Let’s look at the following examples to understand better Qonversion.identify().

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In the following examples:

  • Anonymous ID corresponds to the same app store account (Apple or Google).
  • A and B correspond to two different app store accounts (Apple or Google).

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Example 1. No User Identity.

Two anonymous users install the app using separate devices and subscribe without using theidentify() method. These users have not been linked to each other.
Anonymous IDUser IDAction
AnullInstall
BnullInstall
BnullStart Subscription X -> Gets Entitlement X
AnullStart Subscription Y -> Gets Entitlement Y
Now let’s look at the identify() way of usage.

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Example 2. Single User Identity for two separate devices.

Let’s consider the following user flow:
  1. A user installs the app on his iPhone (first device).
  2. He installs the same app on his second device (iPad/Android device/etc).
  3. He makes a purchase and creates an account on the second device.
  4. He uses the same credentials to log into the app on his iPhone (first device).
Anonymous IDUser IDAction
AnullInstall
BnullInstall
BnullStart Subscription X -> Gets Entitlement X
Buser_id_1identify(“user_id_1”)
Auser_id_1identify(“user_id_1”) -> Gets Entitlement X
In this case, Qonversion will provide users A and B the same entitlements while they use the same user_id_1.

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Example 3. One anonymous user logs in & logs out.

Let’s consider the following user flow:
  1. A user installs the app and subscribes to the product X.
  2. He creates his user account in the app with the following ID: user_id_1.
  3. Then he purchases the product Y using the same app store account.
  4. The user logs out from the app.
In this case, the user keeps having entitlements based on both products, X and Y since the purchases were made using the same app store account.
Anonymous IDUser IDAction
AnullInstall
AnullStart Subscription X -> Gets Entitlement X
Auser_id_1 (login for the very first time)identify(“user_id_1”)
Auser_id_1Purchase product Y -> Gets Entitlement Y
AnullLogout
AnullEntitlement X & Entitlement Y are still granted

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Example 4. Two different anonymous users log in & Log out.

Let’s consider the following user flow:
  1. User A installs the app and subscribes for the product X.
  2. User A logs into user_id_1 account.
  3. User A purchases product Y. Now User A has both entitlements X and Y granted.
  4. User B installs the app and logs in with user_id_1 credentials. Based on the User’s Identity details, he also can use the app considering entitlements X and Y are granted.
  5. User A logs out using the logout() method, he still has entitlements granted based on both purchases he has made on the device.
  6. User B logs out and loses all the entitlements. His anonymous account has no purchases associated with him, as no purchases were made on his device.
    1. It is worth mentioning, in this case, User A and User B have different store accounts on their devices.
Anonymous IDUser IDAction
AnullInstall
AnullStart Subscription X -> Gets Entitlement X
Auser_id_1 (login for the very first time)identify(“user_id_1”)
Auser_id_1Purchase product Y -> Gets Entitlement Y
BnullInstall
Buser_id_1identify(“user_id_1”) -> Gets Entitlements X & Y
AnullLog out -> Keeps having Entitlements X & Y
BnullLog out -> Loses Entitlements X & Y

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Example 5. Two accounts with two separate purchases.

Let’s consider the following user flow:
  1. User A and User B install the app using separate devices.
    1. User A and User B have different store accounts on their devices.
  2. User A subscribes to product X
  3. User B subscribes to product Y.
  4. User A then logs in with the ID user_id_1 for the very first time. At this moment, this user ID is created and Entitlement X attaches to the user_id_1 User Identity.
  5. User B logs in with the same ID user_id_1.
  6. User B now has Entitlement X (based on the User Identity) on top of Entitlement Y.
  7. User A logs out, he still has Entitlement X (based on the device purchases).
  8. User B logs out, he loses Entitlement X but still has Entitlement Y (based on the device purchases).
Anonymous IDUser IDAction
AnullInstall
BnullInstall
AnullStart Subscription X -> Gets Entitlement X
Auser_id_1 (login for the very first time)identify(“user_id_1”)
BnullStart Subscription Y -> Gets Entitlement Y
Buser_id_1identify(“user_id_1”) -> Gets Entitlement X and Keeps Entitlement Y
AnullLog out -> Keeps having Entitlement X
BnullLog out -> Loses Entitlement X but still has Entitlement Y

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Example 6. Two accounts log in using the same device with one active purchase.

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Activate this behaviour in entitlements

For enabling this feature, navigate to the entitlements settings section and modify the coping strategy setting to “Transfer entitlement.” Read more here
Let’s consider the following user flow:
  1. User A installs the app on his iOS device and subscribes for the product X.
  2. User A logs into user_id_1 account. Now Identity user user_id_1 has Entitlement X
  3. User A' installs the app on his Android device and logs into user_id_1 account. Now User A' can get access to the Entitlement X - based content on his Android device.
  4. User B takes User A’s iOS device and logs him out from the app.
  5. User B logs into user_id_2 account and restores subscription. Now Identity user user_id_1 stops having Entitlement X, as it has been transferred to Identity user user_id_2
  6. User A being logged in his Android device with user_id_1 account stops having access to the Entitlement X - based content. Now only Identity user user_id_2 is entitled to it.
Anonymous IDUser IDAction
AnulliOS device install
AnullStart Subscription X -> Gets Entitlement X
Auser_id_1identify(“user_id_1”)
A’nullAndroid device install
A’user_id_1identify(“user_id_1”) -> Gets Entitlement X for Android device
BnulliOS device log out
Buser_id_2identify(“user_id_2”)
Buser_id_2Subscription Restore -> Transfers Entitlement X to user_id_2 from user_id_1
A’user_id_1Loses Entitlement X
Offline SDK mode Restore behavior