How to get more app reviews without breaking store rules.
Ratings show in search results and influence ranking, so they drive downloads. Both stores give you a built-in prompt with strict limits. Timing is nearly the whole game.
How to get more app reviews is mostly a timing problem. Happy users rarely review unprompted, so a well-placed system prompt does more than any campaign, as long as you stay inside each store's rules.
Why reviews drive downloads
Apple says ratings and reviews appear on your product page and in search results, and can influence how your app ranks in App Store search. On Google Play, your rating isn't a simple average; see how the rating works. So more genuine reviews help both ranking and conversion, which is why they matter if you want to increase app downloads.
The rules on each store
| iOS | Google Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | SKStoreReviewController / StoreKit review request | In-App Review API |
| Limit | Up to 3 prompts per user in 365 days | Time-bound quota; value unpublished and can change |
| Custom prompts | Disallowed | Card can't be altered or overlaid |
| User control | People can turn requests off on their device | The dialog may not appear if quota is used |
| Button to review | Don't request from a user action | Don't trigger the API from a button; link to the Play Store instead |
How to get more app store reviews: when to ask
- After a completed task. Apple suggests the end of a sequence the person finished successfully, such as a level or an order.
- Not at launch. Apple advises against prompting right when the app opens, even on a later launch.
- After real use. Google says to wait until someone has experienced enough to give useful feedback. Apple's sample code waits for several completed runs.
- Once per version. Apple's sample avoids asking twice for the same app version.
- Save your prompts. With three a year on iOS, set your own rules for who sees one.
What not to do
- Don't offer rewards. Google's policy names discounts in exchange for high ratings as a violation.
- Don't pre-screen. Google says not to ask opinion questions like "Do you like the app?" or "Would you rate this app 5 stars?" before or while the rating card shows.
- Don't buy reviews. Google prohibits it, and Apple says manipulating reviews is not permitted.
- Don't build your own star prompt on iOS. Apple disallows custom review prompts.
Replying gets you better reviews too
Reviews you already have are the fastest win. On one 440K MAU app, replied reviews were revised by +1.62★ on average, against +0.67★ for unanswered ones. Prioritise reviews whose problem you have fixed. See how to reply, and estimate the effort with the Google Play rating calculator.
Fix the cause first: a prompt shown to frustrated users just brings faster 1-star ratings. Check Android vitals before you add one. Apple also lets you reset a summary rating with a new version, but recommends doing so sparingly.
Questions people ask
How do I get more app reviews?
Use the built-in iOS and Google Play prompts after a user completes something, never at launch, and reply to existing reviews. Don't offer rewards for ratings.
How many times can I ask for a review on iOS?
The system shows the prompt a maximum of three times within a 365-day period, and people can turn requests off.
Why isn't the Google Play review dialog showing?
Google Play enforces a quota, so repeat calls in a short period may not show the dialog. Google doesn't publish the value and says it can change.
Can I give rewards for app reviews?
Not on Google Play: its policy lists offering an incentive for a rating as a violation. Apple doesn't permit manipulating reviews either.
Want this mapped onto your product?
See how our ASO work runs, or send your store link and a founder will reply personally.
