Facebook Tweaks Formula for Calculating Active Application Users

Justin Smith•Aug 31st, 2010

AppData, Applications, Facebook, Metrics

Facebook made a change to the way that it counts active users for applications starting last Friday. Now, likes and comments on stream content published by the app are no longer counted. The results of the change are already very visible for many apps on AppData, but Facebook says the calculations are still in progress, so the numbers for all apps may not yet be updated.

This change affects all apps, Facebook says, but active user counts for mobile apps will be most significantly affected, because many of them generate user content that gets a lot of likes and comments. This explains some of the wild swings we’ve seen in the active user counts lately for Facebook’s own mobile apps as well, like Facebook for iPhone.

Conceptually, we think this change to the way Facebook calculates active users for applications makes a lot of sense. People who like or comment on stream content published by an app shouldn’t be counted as active users like canvas page viewers are.

← Where is Facebook’s Chinese-Language Population Heading? A Look at Future Growth and Reasons to Invest

Familiar Names Fill This Week’s List of Fastest-Growing Facebook Apps by DAU →

Mediabistro Event

Facebook Joins Inside Social Apps Event

In the past few weeks, we’ve added industry insiders from Facebook, Chartboost, Tango, Tilting Point, PlayHaven, Paltalk, and more to the speaking roster of Inside Social Apps, June 6-7 in San Francisco. You’ll learn strategies for success with experts like Deb Liu, Product Manager at Facebook. Register now and save $200.

4 Responses to “Facebook Tweaks Formula for Calculating Active Application Users”

Facebook Amends Its Monthly Active User Algorithm says:
September 1st, 2010 at 3:23 am
[...] InsideFacebook reports, mobile apps will be the most affected because their very nature is to help generate new [...]
Facebook Amends Its Monthly Active User Algorithm says:
September 1st, 2010 at 3:23 am
[...] InsideFacebook reports, mobile apps will be the most affected because their very nature is to help generate new [...]
City of Wonder Hits the Top of This Week’s List of Fastest-Growing Facebook Apps by DAU says:
September 1st, 2010 at 8:12 am
[...] note before the list: Facebook has changed its reporting formula for apps to stop counting likes and comments on stream content toward total users. The most affected category is mobile apps, though, so stats [...]
Quora says:
December 29th, 2010 at 8:23 am
What impact on Tumblr’s and Twitter’s growth did Facebook’s change in late August 2010 that caused their daily active users on Facebook to both fall by about 50% in a matter of a couple days?…

In late August 2010, Facebook altered the calculation of active users to no longer include likes and comments on application generated feed stories. This change would affect apps like twitter and tumblr more than games since twitter and tumblr posts ar…

interested in advertising with inside facebook?

Featured Company

Join leading companies like this one and recruit from the nation's top media job seekers on the Mediabistro Job Board. Every job post comes with our satisfaction guarantee. Learn More

Our Sponsors

Also from Inside Network: AppData - Facebook & iOS Application Stats PageData - Engagement Data on Facebook Pages Facebook Marketing Bible Inside Network Research