In this article · 12 sections
Ratings and reviews are among the strongest signals people use when deciding whether to install an app. A prospective user sees your star rating, skims a few recent reviews and decides in seconds. Ratings also feed into store visibility. That makes them valuable, and tempting to manipulate. The sustainable approach is to build a better product, ask at the right moments and respond with care.
Why reviews matter
- Conversion: a higher rating gives new visitors confidence to install.
- Visibility: ratings and review quality are part of how stores assess apps.
- Product insight: reviews are free, unfiltered feedback about bugs, confusion and desired features.
- Trust: public replies show real people stand behind the app.
Rules to follow first
Both Apple and Google prohibit manipulating ratings.
- Do not buy reviews or use review farms
- Do not offer rewards, discounts or in-app benefits in exchange for positive ratings
- Do not write fake reviews or have staff post as customers without disclosure
- Do not selectively gate reviews in ways that hide unhappy users from the store prompt when it breaks current guidelines
Violations can lead to removed reviews, rejected updates or removal from the store. Check the current policies of each platform.
1. Fix the product first
No tactic outperforms a better experience. Read your existing reviews systematically.
- Tag each review by theme: crashes, login problems, pricing, missing features, confusing screens
- Count them. The most frequent issue is your top priority.
- Fix serious bugs quickly and mention fixes in release notes
- Review one-star reviews for patterns, not just for anger
Improving onboarding and stability often raises ratings faster than anything else. See onboarding best practices and improving retention.
2. Ask at the right moment
People are more generous after a positive experience.
- Trigger the prompt after a success moment: completing a task, reaching a milestone, receiving a good result
- Avoid prompting on first launch, during a task or right after an error
- Wait until the user has had enough experience to form an opinion, such as after several sessions
- Use the platform’s official in-app review API (StoreKit on iOS, the Play In-App Review API on Android), which shows a native prompt without leaving the app
- Respect system limits on how often the prompt can appear. Do not try to circumvent them.
3. Offer a path for unhappy users
A friendly “Need help?” option inside the app gives frustrated users a place to tell you directly, often resolving the problem before it becomes a public review. Provide an in-app support link or email. This should supplement, not replace, the official review prompt, and must not discourage anyone from leaving an honest public review.
4. Respond to reviews
Replying shows you care and is visible to everyone who reads the review.
Responding to negative reviews
- Respond promptly and politely, without defensiveness
- Thank the user and acknowledge the problem
- Be specific about what you are doing, or ask for details to investigate
- Offer a support contact for follow-up
- Do not argue or share personal data publicly
An example:
“Thanks for letting us know, and sorry about the crash when saving a draft. We have identified the cause and a fix is rolling out in version 2.4. If it keeps happening, please email support and include your phone model so we can help.”
Users sometimes update their rating after a good resolution.
Responding to positive reviews
A short, genuine thank-you helps. Mention specifics if they raised them. Avoid copy-paste replies that feel automated.
5. Use release notes well
Tell users what changed, especially fixes for issues many have reported. “Fixed a crash when opening notifications” is better than “Bug fixes and improvements”. It shows that feedback leads to action.
6. Track the right metrics
- Average rating over time and for the current version
- Review volume and sentiment themes
- Rating by country and version, to spot localised problems
- Review response rate and time
Watch what happens to the rating after releases. A drop right after an update points to a regression.
7. Learn from competitors
Read competitors’ reviews, especially negative ones. They reveal unmet needs that you may be able to address, and they inform your ASO strategy and positioning.
Common mistakes
- Prompting too early or too often
- Ignoring negative reviews
- Defensive or generic replies
- Incentivised reviews
- Treating the rating as only a marketing number rather than a product signal
Checklist
- Top complaint themes identified and prioritised
- Official in-app review API used after success moments
- In-app support route available
- Negative reviews answered within a day or two
- Positive reviews acknowledged
- Release notes mention fixes users asked for
- Ratings tracked by version and country
- No incentives or fake reviews
Final thoughts
The best way to earn good reviews is to build something people love, ask politely at the right time and listen to what they say. Honest, responsive teams build trust that no tactic can fake. For help with listing quality, review strategy and growth, see our ASO and growth service or contact us.
