Network Information Tracking in Mobile SDKs

This guide walks you through the network information tracking feature available in the Kotlin and Swift SDKs.

Overview

The RudderStack Kotlin and Swift SDKs automatically track network-related information and attach it to the event payload. It enriches every outgoing event with network-related metadata like Wi-Fi status, cellular connectivity, Bluetooth status, and carrier name.

Network parameters

RudderStack collects and attaches the following information in the network field of the event payload’s context object:

Kotlin

Swift

Apple has deprecated access to the carrier information for privacy reasons.

Add required permissions

The Kotlin and Swift SDKs require some permissions in the app code to attach the above-mentioned parameters to the event payload.

Kotlin

For Kotlin (Android), the AndroidManifest.xml file is responsible for managing these permissions. You can add these permissions in the manifest file as follows:

<!-- Required -->
<!-- Allows access to the internet for network communication -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>

<!-- Optional --> 
<!-- Allows access to track both WiFi and Cellular state -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

<!-- Optional --> 
<!-- Grants access only to track WiFi state if the above permission is not used -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE"/>

<!-- Optional -->
<!-- Required for Bluetooth functionality - allows access to track Bluetooth state -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH"/>

Note that:

• The permissions marked as Optional in the above snippet are attached to the event payload only if the SDK is able to determine them based on the available permissions and the device running the app.
• The SDK updates the cellular, wifi and bluetooth values dynamically for each event payload, that is, they represent the real-time status of these parameters at the time the event is triggered.

A sample JSON payload with the network field populated is shown below:

{
  //...
  "context": {
    "network": {
      "carrier": "CarrierName",
      "cellular": true,
      "wifi": false,
      "bluetooth": true
    }
  }
  //...
}

Swift

For the Swift SDK, Bluetooth permissions must be declared in the app’s Info.plist file. The specific keys you add will depend on the type of Bluetooth access your app requires.

Without these keys, your app will crash or be rejected when requesting Bluetooth access at runtime.

<key>NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app requires Bluetooth access to communicate with nearby devices.</string>

<key>NSBluetoothPeripheralUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app requires Bluetooth access to act as a peripheral device.</string>

Note that:

• NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription is required for general Bluetooth access.
• NSBluetoothPeripheralUsageDescription is required if your app acts as Bluetooth peripheral.
• The value of each key is a user-facing message explaining why your app needs Bluetooth access.
• The SDK updates the cellular, wifi and bluetooth values dynamically for each event payload, that is, they represent the real-time status of these parameters at the time the event is triggered.

A sample JSON payload with the network field populated is shown below:

{
  //...
  "context": {
    "network": {
      "cellular": true,
      "wifi": false,
      "bluetooth": true // Present when added via custom plugin
    }
  }
  //...
}

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