Question The User's Device Unique Identifier can change?? Really?

Hey all,

I just published my first game on apple/android. I have a friend with an iphone that install the game. I use the device's Unique Identifier to basically make them an account in the database. So, as long as they play on the same device, I know who they are.

https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/SystemInfo-deviceUniqueIdentifier.html

However, my friend then un-installed the game, then re-installed it... he provided me a different Unique Identifier.

How is this possible? Shouldn't it be the same always as it's the same device?

 

Don't rely on the

deviceUniqueIdentifier

. If they change devices they would lose their 'account' as well.
On Windows even worse, have a new CPU or move it to an other disk and bam. Gone.
Yes it may be unique but nowhere does it say that it is consistent throughout use.
It even says so in the documentation that IDs will be different on Android with whatever signing key is used.

Unity did create a new package for these kinds of authentications.
https://docs.unity.com/authentication/IntroUnityAuthentication.html
Perhaps you could give that a try. Or find other ways to get a unique but consistent identifier.

 

Privacy laws stemming from rampant abuse of data collection to invade privacy. It definitely did NOT use to change on iOS / Android, and those days are long behind us.

 

Ok, thanks for the info guys. I'll check out that unity package mentioned above.

 

Have you found a solution on UnityAuthentication? Anonymous player id changes on every update.