Reviews (App Store)

Apple says written reviews let users share more detail about their experience. Product pages can also show a review summary. Each summary is generated using large language models, compiles highlights from individual reviews into a short paragraph and is refreshed regularly. Apple has rolled summaries out in phases by storefront.

A ratings reset clears the summary rating when you release a new version, but Apple states that past reviews continue to display. So old complaints stay visible after a reset, and reviews are often the part a developer cannot clear.

Apple states that ratings and reviews can influence how an app ranks in search. It does not say how much, so avoid exact claims. Reviews also work on visitors: a person comparing apps reads them before installing, which affects conversion rate.

• Reply to reviews; see developer response.
• Use Report a Concern for offensive material, spam or other content that violates Apple's terms. The reviewer is not notified.
• Mention fixes in release notes. See What's New.

A hypothetical habit tracker has three reviews that say reminders do not fire. The team fixes the bug, writes the fix in What's New and replies to each review. Some reviewers update their reviews.

• Resetting ratings to hide a review problem. The reviews stay.
• Replying with a generic message to every review.

Plan when to ask for feedback using the rating prompt.