There are many differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics.
You may have noticed, for example, that there are no “views” in GA4.
They were roughly replaced by “data streams.” Google defines these as “a flow of data from a customer touchpoint (e.g., app, website) to Analytics.”
While Google cautions in its official documentation that Views and Data Streams are not the same thing, they are a close parallel.
Here’s everything you need to know about how web and app data is now tracked within the same Google Analytics 4 property.
Content
- Google Analytics 4 Data Streams vs. Universal Analytics Views
- How To Create a GA4 Data Stream
- Add Web Data Stream
- Add iOS App Data Stream
- Add Android App Data Stream
- Filter Reports by Data Stream GA4
- In the Reports Tab
- In the Explore Tab
- GA4 Data Streams Limit
- Data Stream Permissions
- Delete a Data Stream
- What happens if you delete a data stream?
Google Analytics 4 Data Streams vs. Universal Analytics Views
The main difference between Google Analytics 4 data streams and Universal Analytics views are their names.
Having multiple data streams in the same GA4 property allows you to holistically analyze your audience across platforms.
You no longer have to switch back and forth between properties to see data for your website and your app(s), respectively.
Here’s a comparison of GA4 account structure vs. Universal Analytics account structure:

The Google Analytics 4 structure is Organization* > Account > Property > Data Stream
(Notice the empty “Views” column for GA4 properties.)
The Universal Analytics structure is Organization* > Account > Property > Views
*The organization level is optional.
Google says treating Data Streams like views to separate data “limits your ability to tie users across data streams, since each stream is a separate collection source of data.” In other words, the same user may be counted more than once, depending on how your site’s set up.
How To Create a GA4 Data Stream
1. Go to Admin
2. Click Data Streams in the Property Column
3. Click the blue “Add stream” button
4. Select your stream type: iOS app, Android app or Web
From here, things fork off depending on the kind of stream you’re setting up.
Add Web Data Stream
5. Enter your Website URL
6. Enter your Stream name
7. Enhanced measurement events are turned on by default. Leave them that way unless you have an exceptional reason to turn them off.
8. Click “Create stream”
In order for your web data stream to be functional, you must have the universal site tag on your site or publish a GA4 Configuration tag in your GTM container.
Add iOS App Data Stream
Starting in Google Analytics 4
(Continued from steps 1–4 above)
5. Register your app by filling in your iOS bundle ID, app name and app store ID and click Next
6. Wait while Google configures your settings in the next step. When finished, you’ll see four green checkmarks next to each of the options. Then click Next
7. Download the GoogleService-Info.plist file and move it into the root of your Xcode project and add it to all targets and click Next
8. Add the Firebase SDK and click Next
9. Add the initialization code Google provides to your main AppDelegate class and click Next
10. Run your app to verify installation. Once verified, click Finish
You should then see a screen that looks like this:
Starting in Firebase
- Open your Firebase project
- Go to Project settings and click Integrations
- Click “Link” on the Google Analytics card
- Create a new Analytics account, or select an existing one
Add Android App Data Stream
Starting in Google Analytics 4
5. Enter your package name from applicationId in your app-level build.gradle file and enter your app name, then click Register app
6. Wait while Google configures your settings in the next step. When finished, you’ll see four green checkmarks next to each of the options. Then click Next
7. Download the google-services.json file and move it into your Android app module root directory. Then click Next
8. Add the Firebase SDK provided by Google. When finished, press “Sync now” in the IDE. Then click Next
9. Run your app to verify installation. Once verified, click Finish
Starting in Firebase
Same as above for iOS
Filter Reports by Data Stream in GA4
If you have multiple data streams in GA4, you may want to analyze them separate from each other, or even side by side.
(If you only have one data stream, you don’t need to worry about this.)
In the Reports Tab
To analyze data for a single data stream, use the “Add comparison” option in any of the reports.
1. Click the Add comparison button
2. Select Stream ID under the Device category in the first dropdown menu
3. Check off the dimension(s) you want to analyze
If you want to analyze your web data stream by itself, click the web option and click OK. Then X out the “All Users” comparison at the top of the page to restrict the chart and rows to data related to your web stream.
If you want to analyze your iOS and Android app data together – not side by side – check them both off.
In the Explore Tab
1. Add “Stream name”* as a Dimensions option
You can also add “Stream ID,” but I prefer Stream name
2. Add your desired metric(s) options
3. In Tab Settings, add the Stream name dimension to Rows or Columns
4. Add your desired metric(s) to Values in Tab settings
This will show you data for all data streams.
To see data for a particular data stream, use the filter at the bottom to include or exclude particular sources.
GA4 Data Streams Limit
Each Google Analytics 4 property can have up to 50 data streams.
There’s no limit to web streams, but only 30 of those can be app streams.
Data Stream Permissions
You cannot give permissions on a per-data-stream basis.
Since data streams are contained in properties, every user who has permission to a particular property has access to every data stream within that property.
You can also give access at the organization or account level. The user will then have access to every level below their access.
For example, if you give a user permissions for a particular account, they will have access to that account as well as all the properties and data streams within the account. They will not, however, have access to the parent organization.
Delete a Data Stream
1. Go to Admin
2. Click Data Streams in the Property column
3. Click the data stream you want to delete
4. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right portion of the window that popped out

5. Click “Delete stream”
What happens if you delete a data stream?
Google will continue to store its historical data. That data will no longer be processed, though.
It will no longer be available to use in report filters, either.
Also see: