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App Ratings
The numeric star ratings (1-5) that users leave on app store listings, serving as both a ranking signal and a critical conversion factor.
App ratings are the 1-5 star scores that users assign to your app. They appear in search results and on your listing page, making them among the most visible and influential elements of your App Store presence.
Ratings and Rankings
App store algorithms factor ratings into ranking calculations. Apps with higher averages and more total scores tend to rank better for competitive keywords. A drop from 4.5 to 3.8 can trigger measurable ranking declines.
Ratings and Conversion
Users check ratings before downloading. Research shows that apps below 4.0 stars suffer notably lower conversion rates. The threshold effect peaks between 3.9 and 4.0, where a small score improvement can produce a large conversion jump.
Managing Ratings
- Use
SKStoreReviewController(iOS) to prompt satisfied users at the right moment - Time prompts after positive experiences, not during onboarding or error states
- Fix bugs that generate negative ratings without delay
- Reset ratings when launching a major update (iOS allows this per version)
- Respond to negative reviews to show you care and sometimes prompt rating updates
Current vs All-Time Ratings
iOS shows the current version rating by default, with an option to view the lifetime score. Google Play shows the all-time average. A bad update can tank your visible iOS rating fast, but you can recover by resetting with the next release.