By Quick answer: How do I get more ratings and reviews for my app?
- Ask at a high point — after a success, not on launch or mid-task.
- Use official prompts — StoreKit on iOS, In-App Review API on Android.
- Respect limits — Apple shows the prompt at most three times in 365 days.
- Reply and fix — responses can turn critics into fans.
- Never incentivise or fake — it breaks store policy.
Key takeaways
- Timing matters more than wording: ask after a user feels the value.
- Official prompts let users rate without leaving the app, which raises response.
- Your average rating affects both store visibility and conversion.
- Replies are public — they speak to future users as much as the reviewer.
- A sudden drop in rating is a bug report; investigate fast.
Ratings are the most visible number on your store page. They shape whether a visitor installs and how stores rank you. Yet most apps ask for reviews at the worst possible moment — on the third launch, mid-task, with a pop-up that blocks the screen. The legitimate way to more and better reviews is simpler: ask happy users at a happy moment, using the stores' own tools, and listen to what the reviews say.
Ask at the peak
People judge experiences largely by their peak and their end — the peak–end rule. Ask right after a high point:
Good moments
A completed workout, a delivered order, a finished lesson streak, a successful payment, a saved hour.
Bad moments
First launch, mid-task, after an error, right after a paywall.
Use the official prompts
| iOS | Android | |
|---|---|---|
| API | StoreKit review request1 | Google Play In-App Review API2 |
| User experience | Rate in-app without leaving | Rate and review in-app without leaving |
| Limits | Shown at most three times in 365 days; the system decides each time | Quota applies; the prompt may not appear on every call |
| Don't | Trigger it from a button users expect to always work | Show custom "Rate us" screens before it |
What not to do
Reply to reviews
- Reply within days, especially to negative reviews.
- Acknowledge the problem without defensiveness.
- Explain the fix, a workaround or how to reach support.
- Follow up when the fix ships — many users update their rating.
Turn reviews into a roadmap
- Tag every review by theme: bug, performance, feature request, pricing, praise
- Track themes weekly and share them with the product team
- Watch for sudden rating drops after releases — they're bug reports
- Quote praise (with permission) in your screenshots and marketing
Ratings feed your ranking — see how to rank on Google Play.
Key terms, defined
StoreKit review request — Apple's official in-app rating prompt. In-App Review API — Google Play's equivalent. Review gating — showing the store prompt only to users likely to rate positively. Peak–end rule — people judge experiences by their peak and end moments.
Frequently asked questions
How often can I ask for an App Store review?
Apple's system shows the StoreKit ratings prompt a maximum of three times within a 365-day period, and decides whether to display it each time you request it. Call it at natural moments, not on a timer.
What is the Google Play In-App Review API?
An official API that lets users rate and review your app on Google Play without leaving it. Google applies a quota, so the prompt may not appear every time you call it, and you shouldn't show it on a button users expect to always work.
Can I offer rewards for reviews?
No. Both Apple and Google prohibit incentivising ratings or reviews, and manipulating them can lead to removal of reviews or your app.
Can I ask only happy users to review?
Pre-screening users so only those likely to give positive ratings see the store prompt ('review gating') is discouraged and can violate store policies. Ask broadly at good moments, and give everyone a way to send feedback.
Should I reply to negative reviews?
Yes. Reply politely, acknowledge the problem, explain the fix or next step, and follow up when it's resolved. Many users update their rating after a good response.
How do reviews affect app ranking?
Ratings and reviews are quality signals that influence store visibility and strongly affect conversion — users choose apps with higher ratings and recent positive reviews.
Sources
- Apple Developer Documentation — Requesting App Store reviews
- Android Developers — Google Play In-App Reviews API
- Apple Developer — App Store Review Guidelines
- Google Play — Developer Policy Center
- Checked October 23, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- How to rank on Google Play — where ratings fit among ranking signals
- Peak–end rule — why the moment you ask matters
- Career guidesHow to get an app store optimization job in 2027: keywords, store listings, creative testing, ratings and the metrics mobile growth teams hire forHow to get an ASO specialist job in 2027: App Store and Google Play keywords, listings, creative tests, ratings, metrics, pay and a 5-week plan.
- App marketing & ASOHow to rank your app on the Play Store: what Google rewards in 2027How to rank an app on Google Play: keywords across the listing, conversion assets, ratings, Android vitals, retention and listing experiments.
- App marketing & ASOApp store optimization (ASO): the complete guide for the App Store and Google PlayA complete ASO guide for 2027: keyword research, titles, Apple's keyword field, descriptions, screenshots, ratings, localisation and testing.
- App marketing & ASOApp store screenshots that convert: 12 patterns, specs and examplesApp store screenshots that convert: 12 proven layout patterns with example captions, current App Store and Google Play specs, and tips for India.
- App marketing & ASOApp description examples: how to write a store description that convertsHow to write an app store description that converts: a proven structure, example openings, keyword use on Google Play, formatting and pitfalls.
- App developmentWhy apps get rejected by the App Store, and how to fix itApple rejected 2 million+ submissions in its latest report, mostly for performance. The common App Store rejection reasons, guidelines and fixes.
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