As an app developer, you want to encourage users to rate and review your app to help improve its visibility and credibility on the app stores. However, both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store have rules and best practices in place to ensure that reviews are fair and unbiased. Here’s a breakdown of the rules for each store:

Apple App Store:

  • Frequency: There’s no specific frequency requirement for leaving a review.
  • Eligibility: Anyone with an Apple ID can leave a review.
  • Review content: Reviews must be relevant and helpful.
  • Rating system: The rating system is from 1-5 stars.
  • User identity: User identity is verified by Apple.
  • Review filtering: Apple uses algorithms to filter out potentially fake reviews.
  • Developer response: Developers can respond to reviews.
  • Employee ratings: Employees cannot rate their own apps or those of competitors.

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Google Play Store:

  • Frequency: Users must use the app at least twice before leaving a review.
  • Eligibility: Users cannot leave a review if they have uninstalled the app within a week of downloading it.
  • Review content: Reviews must be relevant and comply with Google’s content policies.
  • Rating system: The rating system is from 1-5 stars.
  • User identity: User identity is not verified by Google.
  • Review filtering: Google uses algorithms to filter out potentially fake or spam reviews.
  • Developer response: Developers can respond to reviews.
  • Employee ratings: Employees cannot rate their own apps or those of competitors.

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It’s important to follow these rules and best practices to ensure that your app ratings and reviews are legitimate and helpful to other users. By encouraging honest feedback and responding to user concerns, you can improve your app’s reputation and attract more downloads.