▸Example Branch call (the "before")
import BranchSDK
Branch.getInstance().initSession(launchOptions: launchOptions) { params, error in
// Branch fingerprint + IDFA matching happens here.
if let referringLink = params?["~referring_link"] as? String {
// Route the user based on the deep link...
}
}
Branch.getInstance().userCompletedAction("Paywall Purchase", withState: [
BranchStandardEventTransactionId: orderId,
"revenue": price,
])Heavy analytics SDKs do work at app launch — reading identifiers, initialising queues, network dispatch — that compounds visibly on lower-end devices. Respectlytics's SDK adds typically under 30ms to cold start, vs 100-300ms for Firebase Analytics's full initialisation chain.
☑Remove Branch cleanly
-
1
Remove Branch from your build (
Branch/io.branch.sdk.android:library/react-native-branch/flutter_branch_sdk) -
2
Remove
Branch.getInstance().initSession(...)anduserCompletedAction(...)call sites -
3
Decide what replaces Branch's deep-link routing — Universal Links + App Links are first-party alternatives (no SDK; OS-handled)
-
4
Remove Branch URL schemes from your
Info.plistandAndroidManifest.xml -
5
Delete the Branch app dashboard entry once events stop flowing
⇋Branch vs Respectlytics — faster cold start
| Branch | Respectlytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cold-start contribution (p50) | — see tool note above | < 30ms |
| Initialisation work on launch | Reads IDFA/AAID, opens SQLite, spins up threads | Allocates ring buffer (RAM-only) |
| Number of background threads spawned | — typically 2-4 | 1 |
| Synchronous I/O on init | — typical (SQLite open) | None |
❓Frequently asked questions
How do I measure cold start before / after?
iOS: Xcode Organizer's Launch Time metric (aggregate from real users) or Instruments → App Launch template (synthetic). Android: adb shell am start -W <package>/.<activity> or Play Console's Vitals → Startup time. Measure before removing the old SDK, after, and compare on the same device class.
Does Respectlytics block the main thread on init?
No. Respectlytics.configure(appKey:) is synchronous but does only in-memory work (allocates the ring buffer). The network flush runs on a background dispatch queue / coroutine.
What's typical magnitude of improvement?
On a mid-range Android device, removing Firebase Analytics + AppsFlyer typically saves 100-300ms off cold start, depending on Google Play Services init state. On iOS the delta is usually 50-150ms. Effect is more pronounced on cold-start (uncached) than warm-start launches.
Does cold-start improvement actually affect business metrics?
Yes — first-session abandonment correlates with launch latency in published benchmarks. A 100ms improvement on the slowest deciles of your device distribution can show a measurable first-day retention lift.