Can the deviceCategory value be manually changed in GAv4 for android?

[Jaspreet]

Sure, it could be a bit tricky, but nothing you can’t handle! You might be able to override some default dimensions. You can take a gander at it here. Similar steps might work for other dimensions as well.

You could also peek at the network request and see if deviceCategory can be given a new look by setting it as an event property.

And remember, there’s always the option to lean on GTM for overriding any field. But, that might be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, you know? It’s not really worth bringing it in just to minutely tweak the field value.

So, maybe just let it be? Unless, of course, it’s for data points, in which case a custom dimension/event property to track it should serve you well. Give it a shot!

[Lucas]

Unfortunately, you cannot directly change the ‘deviceCategory’ value in Google Analytics. This is a built-in field which is automatically populated by Google and it only supports ‘desktop’, ‘tablet’, and ‘mobile’ categories. The only way roundabout way would be to possibly create a separate segment or filter for Android devices specifically, or indeed use a custom dimension that could specify what type of mobile device is being used. But as for changing the ‘deviceCategory’ value directly, it is not possible.