For years, app discovery followed a familiar script: users saw an ad in an app, tapped, landed in an app store, and made a decision on the store page. OEM advertising is changing that script by moving discovery upstream into the device itself. Setup flows, lock screens, OEM stores, and on-device recommendation surfaces are becoming discovery engines, while “frictionless install” mechanics compress the time between awareness and install. The result: a new app discovery journey that can outperform traditional paths: if UA teams adapt their creative, measurement, and post-install experience. The Setup: Discovery Is No Longer “In-App → App Store” OEM campaigns aren’t just another placement. They represent a structural shift in where discovery happens. Measurement leaders now explicitly define “preload campaigns” as partnerships with OEMs, mobile carriers, and app discovery platforms that preload apps at the factory or trigger downloads at first device activation, before the user has settled into their usual app habits. That timing matters. If you reach users during device setup, you’re influencing decisions when the user is still building their “default app set”— which changes both conversion dynamics and downstream engagement patterns. What the New OEM Discovery Journey Looks Like 1) Setup-Time Discovery Becomes a First-Class Moment Dynamic preloads and onboarding prompts are effective precisely because users are highly engaged during setup, and recommendations can be aligned to preferences and context. Industry guides describe dynamic preloads as more flexible than static factory preloads and emphasize that setup is a uniquely high-attention window. What this means for UA: You’re not only competing with other ads, you’re competing with the user’s desire to “finish setup fast.” Your message must be instantly clear, and your value proposition must be obvious in seconds. 2) “Frictionless Installs” Shrink the Discovery Funnel A major OEM-driven change is reducing store friction. Some flows let users trigger an install without a traditional app store redirect. What this means for UA: When install friction drops, “cheap installs” become easier to generate but intent can be thinner. Your first-session experience (onboarding + deep links) becomes the real make-or-break step. 3) Lock Screen Moves From Passive Surface to Discovery Channel OEM ecosystems are turning lock screens into high-visibility discovery inventory. Glance’s OCI flow is a concrete example of how a lock screen can function as an install initiation surface rather than merely a notification layer. What this means for UA: Lock screen discovery favors bold simplicity: one idea, one visual, one CTA. “Ad-like” clutter tends to lose. 4) Alternative OEM App Stores Are Becoming Discovery Engines OEM advertising isn’t only about setup and lock screens. OEMs also operate their own app stores (e.g., Galaxy Store, GetApps, AppGallery). Industry guides highlight alternative app stores as less crowded environments where users are actively browsing for apps and where advertisers may see different cost and conversion dynamics compared to the main stores. What this means for UA: You need a store strategy beyond Google Play: creative sets optimized for OEM store layouts and merchandising logic, plus the operational readiness to publish/maintain builds where required. (Glance’s OCI notes, for example, that some OEM devices require apps to be hosted on specific OEM stores like GetApps for certain flows.) 5) Measurement Has Matured: OEM Is Now a Real Performance Discipline One reason OEM has become more performance-friendly is that attribution infrastructure has improved dramatically. What this means for UA: OEM can be measured cleanly but only if your SDK setup, partner configuration, and attribution rules are correct (lookback windows, priority, raw-data interpretation). 6) Deep Linking Becomes Mandatory When the Install Gets Easier If the install happens in fewer steps, you have less time to educate the user before first opening. That shifts the burden to post-install routing. What this means for UA: In OEM, deep linking isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s how you keep promise integrity when the user installs without spending time on a store page. How UA Teams Should Adapt in 2026? OEM ads are changing app discovery in one fundamental way: Discovery is becoming device-native; embedded in the OS journey, not just in apps and stores. To win in this new journey, advertisers and UA managers should operationalize OEM as its own discipline: Closing The classic app discovery journey “ad → store page → install” is no longer the only default. OEM ads are building new discovery paths inside the device experience: setup-time recommendations, lock screen install initiation, alternative store merchandising, and frictionless installs supported by deterministic attribution. For performance teams, this is both an opportunity and a responsibility: the upside is real, but success requires OEM-native creative, correct measurement, and post-install journeys that deliver on the promise fast.