At Google I/O, Google released some interesting stats regarding app installs the platform has been driving.  First, they revealed that Google’s app install ads have delivered 2 billion app downloads, which makes it just as competitive as Facebook’s app install ads.  This is a significant jump for Google’s last shared stat of hundreds of millions of downloads.

Google also announced additions to their universal app campaigns.  In something that many app developers have been requesting, Google has added support for universal app campaigns for iOS, which begins beta this week.  They plan to roll it out to all developers in the “near future.”

First, Universal App Campaigns are expanding beyond Android to help developers grow their iOS apps. Now, all app developers can tap into the simplicity and power of Universal App Campaigns to reach billions of Android and iOS users on YouTube, the Google Search App, and the Google Display Network. Universal App Campaigns for iOS are available in beta today and will roll out to all developers in the near future.

Google also revealed that 17% of users drive 85% of app revenue, and the universal app campaigns are testing features that will automate to find each app’s most valuable users.

Universal App Campaigns will automate targeting, bidding, and creative generation to find your most valuable users based on your in app conversions. Just tell us the in app events that matter to you, whether it’s reaching level ten in your game, subscribing to your service, or making a purchase in your app, and we’ll do the rest. Our models evaluate countless signals and constantly learn and adjust, meaning every ad is based on the freshest, most relevant data. The best thing is that we do all the hard work in the background, predicting which users will be valuable and acquiring them at the right price. These innovations are in testing and will roll out in the coming months.

This takes the concept of power users to a while new level.  And Google says that the successful app developers are instead looking to target the “right users.”

Universal app campaigns will also soon be able to target users on YouTube and within the tabs of Gmail as well.

Google also announced Firebase, Google’s new app analytics program. a free analytics program for developers.  Notably, Firebase supports both Android and iOS.  You can read more about it here.