What Is Review Management: App Store Review Management In 2025

You've developed a mobile game, and it’s out in the world. Now what?

The feedback loop begins.

77% of users read at least one review before downloading a free app, and 79% consider an app’s rating before downloading.​

Your app store reviews directly affect its visibility and user trust. Review management is an absolute must. If you fail to respond to reviews, avoid analyzing online reviews, and ignore negative reviews, it can all cost you potential downloads. And users. And money. So what do you do to make sure it doesn’t happen? You read this!

This guide will help you avoid these pitfalls—this is your ultimate guide on app review management. Get more app store reviews and learn how to analyze them, the works. We’ll cover each aspect to make sure your mobile game reaches its full potential. Let’s go!

What are app store reviews?

App reviews are like a friendly chat where users tell you what they think about your app. Well, not always, of course, sometimes all hell breaks loose and people are raging. But that’s life! Whether they love your app, hate it, or find it "meh," they’ll leave a rating and write a little story. On platforms like the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, these reviews are public—anyone interested in your app can read them. A blessing and a curse—if you don’t do things well, everyone’s going to see how bad your app is. The opposite is also true.

Here is how it works, and it won’t be a revelation, exactly.

Imagine this: you’re considering downloading an app, but before downloading, you check out what others have said. And after using an app you may want to share your experience too, just like these users of the Duolingo app on Google Play:

Users' online review on what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s buggy gives developers super useful insights into what needs improvement. They can also tell everyone about every single shortcoming they can think of.

Good reviews can (and will) help boost your app’s rankings in the store. If people are reading positive feedback and downloading your app, it indirectly tells the store algorithms that your app is worth recommending. Boom, your app’s visibility and ranking improve.

Or again, the opposite.

App reviews are not just an online review. There are many different metrics that the app stores themselves take into account when the algorithms decide if your app should go up, or not. They’re the key to your app’s success. Thus, we recommend that you pay attention to every review that comes in if you can. Yes, that involves more than 1-2 star reviews.

How are app store reviews different from app store ratings?

App store reviews and app store ratings might seem the same, but they’re not. While users see both on the app store, they offer different types of online review.

Ratings are just numbers—simple star ratings from one to five with little feedback. They give a snapshot of how users feel about your app. For example, if you see a 4.8 out of 5 rating on an app like MyDeal, that's the average score over time. A rating is both the sum, and the simple review itself.

Reviews, though, go deeper. These are written comments where users share what they loved or hated. Bugs? Great features? Suggestions? You’ll find all that in the reviews. Developers like you can reply to reviews and dispense responses, advice, and banter at will—all app stores have that functionality at their base.

So, ratings = the big picture, while reviews give you the details. Both matter, but reviews help you understand what’s really going on with your app.

Next, let's talk about app review management and how to handle all this feedback, especially if you’re lucky (or not so much?) to have tons of it coming in at the same time.

What is review management in App Store?

In scientific terms (trust me, I am a doctor probably), app review management is actively monitoring, responding to, and improving user feedback in app store reviews. That is, managing app store ratings and reviews to build a positive image for your app. Boost its rankings. Increase user engagement. Earn tons of money because your users love it. This very act is also how you get product feedback to be used in improving your app.

For instance, someone says the big button stinks, it keeps getting pressed by accident. You make it smaller. Now people complain they can’t hit it when they want to. You know, the joys of app development—finding that sweet spot until it no longer matters because you fixed the issue properly.

Let me share another example.

One time, an AppFollow client noticed a sudden drop in app’s rating on the Play Store. A flood of 1-star Google reviews came in, all complaining about a new feature we added.

Their team analyzed the Google reviews and realized there was a major bug.

Immediate fix, replying to the negative reviews, explaining the fix…they managed to stop the rating from dropping further. Once the bug was fixed, the app got some users updating their reviews to 4 and 5 stars. Victory! All it takes is a bit of well-timed attention. Users are confirmed to be cats.

App Review Management vs. Reputation Management

Here’s another conundrum! What’s the difference? App review management and online reputation management are related but not the same. App review management focuses on app stores—app store ratings and reviews, and that the app maintains a good rating and reputation within these platforms. It’s a more direct approach where you engage with user's online review regularly.

Reputation management, on the other hand, covers the broader picture. It includes your brand image across all platforms—social media, websites, and beyond. While reviews are part of it, reputation management also involves handling any negative press or mentions that could affect your brand’s image overall.

App store reviews matter. Deal with any online review you see fast. Fix your app when users complain. it's about not looking like you don't care. Handle reviews daily. Manage your online reputation constantly. Slack off on either, and watch your app tank. Simple as that. Here’s your new mantra to live by!

Why are app store reviews important?

Let’s start with a real-world case.

In September 2021, Genshin Impact faced a flood of negative app store reviews. Players were unhappy with updates, new characters, and poor anniversary rewards. They took their frustration straight to the app store, leaving 1-star reviews on the Play Store and Apple App Store.

This tanked the game’s ratings below 3 stars.

Addressing player concerns helped the developers improve the game, and its rating is now 4.2, with over 4 million downloads. Small print: Google and Apple also helped curb the massive brigading that happened, but we don’t talk about that. What the developers did stabilized this situation, and this is the whole point.

This case tells the story of why managing app store reviews is something you can’t skip.

Genshin Impact has made an excellent recovery all-in-all. They sure take their time with answers, but it’s better than nothing. The game is currently at a 4.2 rating with 4 mln.+ downloads.

Why Do Reviews Matter?

• Decision-making
  App store reviews are a major factor in whether someone downloads your app. Around 82% of consumers read reviews before making a decision. High ratings and positive reviews give users confidence, while negative reviews make them hesitate. Truth of the world! It’s social proof, plain and simple.
• App discoverability
  Higher ratings and great reviews boost your app's ranking in search results on the Play Store and App Store. More visibility = more downloads.
• Online review useful for devs
  Reviews point out bugs, suggest upgrades, and spark new ideas. Fix what users complain about and watch your app soar. Again, look at Genshin Impact—they fixed their stuff based on feedback, and boom—ratings and downloads shot up. Ignore user gripes at your own peril.
• Conversion rates
  Better ratings = higher conversion. A well-managed app store review section can (ah, WILL!) lead to better keyword rankings and improved conversion rates. Users are more likely to download an app with lots of 5-star ratings.
• Social proof
  Positive online review builds trust with potential users (if you haven’t surmised that yet). And when you respond to negative reviews, it shows you care. 9 out of 10 people read reviews before taking action, so having good reviews helps drive customer acquisition.

Application reviews are the penultimate part of app success. Boosting visibility, driving conversions, or gathering valuable insights—-proper review management can make or break your app’s performance. Don’t underestimate the power of app store game reviews.

6 hacks on how to get app store ratings and reviews

Six deep-in-the-trenches hacks straight from my insanely smart team. We’ve managed app review strategies for apps with millions of downloads, and yeah… we’ve seen what works (and what totally backfires).

So here are 6 expert-level hacks on how to ask for app reviews, told in quotes — because nothing beats wisdom that sounds like it came from your favorite Slack thread:

1️⃣ Track emotional peaks with event tags — and trigger the review prompt right there

Yaroslav Rudnitskiy, ASO guru:

“You know that feeling when your user finally beats that impossible level or hits Inbox Zero for the first time in your productivity app? That’s your golden window.

One of our clients used to prompt for ratings after 3 app opens. Meh. We had them tag success events in Firebase like task_completed_10x or premium_goal_achieved — and boom. App store user reviews doubled.

Because when people feel proud, they share. And the App Store loves that energy.”

Tech tip inside the story: Use SKStoreReviewController (iOS) or Google’s ReviewManager only after high-sentiment actions. Never on first launch. Ever.

2️⃣ Segment your power users — and never treat all feedback equally

Karen Taborda, Customer Growth Team Lead:

“We worked with a wellness app that had 50k daily actives… but only 87 reviews. Wild, right?

Turned out their most loyal users — the ones using it every morning for months — were never asked. They filtered high-LTV users in Amplitude, sent them a cozy little message (‘Hey, you’re basically family. Mind rating us?’), and got 1,200+ apple app store reviews in one week.

The secret? Don’t beg strangers. Whisper to your superfans.”

3️⃣ Reply to 1-star reviews using keywords that influence the ASO algorithm

Lucija Knezic, Senior CSM & Product Strategy Manager:

“Back when we were managing a finance app’s review flow, we noticed something weird: their top traffic-driving keyword wasn’t even on their store page — it was showing up in review replies. That’s when we started replying with purpose.

Someone complains? You apologize, solve the issue and casually drop in terms like ‘budget tracker’ or ‘expense planner.’ It boosted visibility and helped us collect more high-quality iOS app reviews.”

4️⃣ Use native-looking modals to filter sentiment before asking for a review

Veronika Bocharova, Customer Success Manager:

“One of our e-commerce clients had been using the built-in iOS review pop-up... and getting slammed with 1-stars.

Why?

Because it fired right after a failed checkout. Oof. We replaced it with a custom modal that simply asked, ‘How’s it going?’

If they tapped ‘Not great’, we routed them to support.

If they said ‘Great!’ — only then we nudged them to rate. It felt like magic. Ratings went up, complaints dropped, and we saw a huge lift in mobile app review quality.”

5️⃣ Export app store reviews weekly and tag them by sentiment

Dzianis Shalkou, Senior Professional Services Manager

“A client once told me, ‘We’re drowning in bad reviews, and I don’t know why.’ We ran their last 1,000 reviews through an AppFollow → Notion integration, tagged everything manually for one week, and boom: 40% of complaints were about one broken login screen on Android 13.

The product team fixed it. Ratings went from 3.1 to 4.4 in 2 months.

Moral of the story? Apple store review comments aren’t noise. They’re diagnostics with emojis.”

6️⃣ Set alerts for rating drops and reply delays

Yaroslav Rudnitskiy, ASO guru:

“Late one Friday, our client got a Slack ping: ‘Rating dropped 0.4 stars in Brazil overnight.’ They checked our AppFollow dashboard. Turns out a push notification had a broken deeplink that crashed Android devices in that region.

Example of the alert on app ratings. Sign up to set it up in AppFollow.

They paused the push, fixed the deeplink, and replied to every apple app store review within 12 hours.

By Monday? Crisis averted. Your reviews are a pulse check. Don’t wait for support tickets — listen to the store first.”

Bonus move: Revisit your whole feedback loop quarterly

You’ve got reviews flowing in. Great. But what’s your system for listening, tagging, and acting on them?

Ilia Kukharev, AppFollow Product Manager:

“For one of our SaaS clients, we set up a quarterly sync between the dev team and support using insights from AppFollow’s app review management dashboard. We'd highlight top feature requests, repeat bugs, and praise patterns.

Once the engineers saw what users actually loved (or hated), roadmap planning got faster, more focused, and user-led. That’s review management done right.”

Ready to put this into action?

Don’t just bookmark this for “later.” Start turning those app store reviews into real growth — without guesswork, spreadsheets, or burnout.

We’ve packed everything into a smooth, ready-to-use system that helps you track, reply, analyze, and actually benefit from your user feedback.

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How to manage online reviews: App Store and Google Play review guidelines

Let’s talk about the not-so-sexy side of app growth: how to manage online reviews without breaking any App Store or Google Play rules. You’d be surprised how many growth teams (and devs too, let’s be real) get this wrong. I’ve worked with clients who’ve tanked their visibility by violating platform policies without even realizing it — like asking for five stars in exchange for a feature unlock.

And since you’ve got a full article breaking this down (can’t wait to link to it!), I’m giving you three deep-cut, field-tested tips that go beyond the basics. These aren’t just “be polite” or “reply quickly” tips — these are for app marketers and developers who live in release cycles, bug logs, and app store user reviews dashboards.

1️⃣ Build a version-specific review tagging system — before asking for feedback

You know those in-app review prompts? Yeah, they’re powerful — but only if you use them when the app is stable. I’ve seen teams trigger requestReview() in iOS or the app store reviews API within 30 seconds of a new user onboarding. Huge mistake.

Why? Because if the user hits friction — like an auth delay or layout bug — and then you ask for a review, congrats, you’ve just invited a 1-star.

Here’s the fix:

• Set conditions for the review prompt: app version + device + positive session signals (e.g., feature completed, no crash logs, >2 min session).
• Track which version was active at the time of review.
• If complaints spike, you can pull them by version and correlate with backend issues or deployment configs.

Don’t just monitor app store reviews — manage the context that creates them.

2️⃣ Don’t edit user replies based on your brand tone — respond with technical accuracy

I’ve worked with teams where the brand voice guide said, “Always use cheerful tone and emojis.” Sounds cute until you’re replying to a user who just lost three months of workout history after a botched sync.

Google and Apple both want app review management responses to reflect honest resolution and not come across as manipulative or salesy.

What works instead:

• If the issue is known, reference the cause and fix version directly: “This issue was due to a caching bug on iOS 17.3 — fixed in v2.5.8.”
• If not reproducible, state what logs or steps are needed, and redirect to a verified support channel.
• Keep replies concise. On Google Play especially, long responses get truncated in search preview.

Pro tip: Add a tracking suffix to replies (like [ref: v258-b]) so your team can trace which reply version triggered a review update later. Yes, it’s nerdy. Yes, it works.

3️⃣ Never incentivize reviews — but always map sentiment to feature-level retention

Let’s get one thing clear: Apple and Google both prohibit incentivizing reviews (yes, even soft perks like “leave feedback to unlock pro features”). But here’s what most folks miss—if you’re not analyzing sentiment patterns by feature, you’re just firefighting, not improving.

What to do instead:

• Use natural feedback windows: after task completion, after second login, after problem resolution.
• Tag incoming application reviews by core experience (onboarding, payment, notifications, etc.).
• Run sentiment scoring per feature. If a new rating dip is coming from users who mention “notifications” or “widget,” that’s not a content issue — it’s product.

This kind of tagging isn’t just managing app store ratings and reviews. It’s app store review management meets retention forecasting. And when you align those insights with your roadmap, you don’t just manage reviews — you control how users experience your mobile app reviews in the long run.

Want more advanced tips on how to manage app store game reviews, reply to spam without getting flagged, or automate localization for appstore reviews in 20 languages?

You’ll find them all in the full article: 13 Examples On How To Get More App Reviews In 2025 [Copy/Paste Templates].

Your guide to smarter, safer, and scalable managing reviews starts just a scroll away.

How to respond to app store reviews: 6 examples inside

One of the most underrated tools in your retention and reputation toolkit: how to respond to app store reviews.

I’m not talking about slapping a “Thanks!” on a 5-star review or pasting the same apology into every 1-star meltdown. I mean crafting replies that build trust, show product maturity, and help you steer app store user reviews with intention.

Here’s the high-level strategy:

• On Google app store reviews, replies show up in search and affect install intent — so be concise, clear, and technical.
• On apple app store reviews, App Store Connect gives you one shot to respond — so make it meaningful.
• Positive reviews aren’t just compliments — they’re qualitative feedback gold. Use them to reinforce what’s working and feed your product backlog.
• Negative reviews deserve fast, technically grounded replies. Reference fixes, version numbers, or known workarounds — and don’t be afraid to redirect users to proper support if the store UI isn’t enough.

Every reply you write helps both the reviewer and the next 10 people who scroll through your application reviews before deciding whether to install.

3 Positive play store review response examples

1. When a user praises a new feature rollout

“Yesss, so happy to hear you’re enjoying the new timeline view in v4.2! ???? It was one of the most requested updates this quarter, and feedback like yours makes every sprint worth it. Got ideas for what could make it even better? We’re all ears.”

Use this when launching a new UI/UX feature and early adopters are reacting. It also helps boost sentiment in app store reviews.

2. When someone highlights performance improvements

“Right? That speed boost is no joke. Android 13 was a beast to optimize for, but 3.1.9 definitely smoothed things out. iOS users — you're next!”

Ideal for reinforcing technical upgrades that directly improve the mobile app review experience.

3. When a power user gives 5 stars but includes a suggestion

“Appreciate the 5 stars — and the heads-up on the missing filter. We’ve added your suggestion to our backlog. It’s always the seasoned users who give the most actionable feedback!”

Use this to build loyalty and source roadmap insights while managing reviews more intentionally.

If you’re looking for even more ideas, we have 50 Positive Review Response Examples [Copy and Paste] article for you to grab the goodies off of. Enjoy!

3 examples of effective responses to negative app store app reviews

1. Crash report on a specific device post-update

“Hey there — thank you for the detailed report. We’ve confirmed that crash on Galaxy A52 running Android 14. It’s linked to a permissions conflict with the camera API. Our devs already pushed a fix in v5.0.1, which is rolling out now. Hang tight — it’s almost there!”

Use when you’ve already triaged the bug. Responses like this also build transparency into your apple app store review strategy.

2. Battery drain complaint after background process update

“Ah, yes — this one’s on us. That real-time sync feature in 2.8.3 is powerful but... battery-hungry. Until we optimize it in v2.9, you can dial it down under App Settings > Power Mode.”

Perfect when the user’s issue is real but solvable — great for app store review management teams with a user-first tone.

3. Frustration around login failures that aren’t device-specific

“Hey, that login loop is as frustrating for us as it is for you — we’ve found it mostly affects accounts with 2FA enabled. Clearing cache or updating to 3.0.2 should do the trick. Still stuck? Hit us at dev-support@... and we’ll sort it together.”

Use this when the issue is known but not isolated. It’s a great example of empathetic ios reviews response strategy.

Bonus Tip: Save these replies in a shared doc, CMS, or support platform with tags by topic, severity, and platform (Google Play, iOS). That’s your starter kit for a scalable app review management system.

It also helps your team improve app store management processes by spotting patterns over time — like feature sentiment, release pain points, or gaps in your online review coverage.

And if your team uses app review services or tools with auto-tagging and filters, even better — this stuff becomes part of your daily flow without overwhelming your inbox.

6 steps of the app store review analysis

You’re not here to skim star ratings. You want to diagnose friction, optimize retention, and fuel your roadmap — and AppFollow’s got the toolkit. Here’s my no-fluff, field-tested flow for doing real app review management that drives growth.

1️⃣ Pull a Focused Review Dataset

First, export app store reviews — but don’t just pull everything. Focus on what matters. Filter by app version, star rating, language, device, or keyword ("login," "slow," "crash").

Review filters in AppFollow. Test them live with a 10-days trial.

Think: data you can act on, not just stare at.

2️⃣ Tag Reviews Like a PM, Not a Support Bot

Create tags by theme: “billing,” “notifications,” “onboarding,” “translation bug.” Use auto-tag rules for volume, then manually tag anything nuanced. Combine tags with OS/device filters for high-fidelity issue clusters.

Tags management in AppFollow. Sign up to test it free with a 10-days trial.

Pro move: Tag by intent too — feature request, bug, confusion, churn signal.

3️⃣ Spot Sentiment Spikes & Version Fallout

Track review volume and average rating over time. Overlay with your release timeline.

• Did 3.4.2 quietly crush your iOS app review scores in France?
• Did Android 13 users hate the new push logic?

This is where your install dip makes sense.

4️⃣ Compare Country-Level Reaction

Use AppFollow filters to break down app store app reviews by market. Same feature, different reactions — what delights in Japan might confuse users in Germany. Adjust your tone, flow, or UX copy accordingly.

5️⃣ Monitor Updated + Deleted Reviews

Watch what happens after you reply. Updated reviews = trust regained.

Deleted 1-stars? That’s a stealthy win. Use this as your “soft conversion” KPI for response effectiveness.

Especially key for apple store review workflows where replies are limited to one shot.

6️⃣ Pipe It Back to Product & Marketing

Bundle your findings into a monthly app store review management report — tag trends, sentiment shifts, feature-impact highlights.

Export straight into Notion, Confluence, Jira, or whatever your team lives in. It’s not “managing reviews” — it’s fueling product decisions with real user voice.

Ready to turn your reviews into growth strategy?

Start your free AppFollow trial and see what insights you’ve been missing. No credit card. Just clarity.

How to remove spam and fake app reviews in the App Store and Google Play

Here is the practical guide from real life: one of my clients freaked out after waking up to 73 one-star reviews overnight. No crashes. No bugs. Just... chaos.

Welcome to the world of spam and fake app reviews — and yep, both the App Store and Google Play still struggle with them. This flood totally distorted their apple app store reviews, and we had to act fast.

Here’s how to remove spam reviews:

First, we flagged the pattern: same review structure, repeated keywords (“worst app ever,” “doesn’t work”), clustered across a 3-hour window. In AppFollow, we filtered these by keyword, language, and timestamp, then tagged them for escalation. It’s the first step in cleaning up your ios reviews without losing legit user feedback.

For Google Play, we reported reviews directly through AppFollow’s dashboard. Each flagged review gets submitted via the official Google Play Developer Console, citing violation of spam or manipulation policies.

For iOS, it’s a bit trickier. You’ll need to report via App Store Connect > “Report a Concern,” including review IDs and evidence (screenshots help). This is critical when your apple app store review page becomes a target of manipulation.

We also track removal rates post-report using AppFollow’s deletion monitoring. Bonus tip? Document everything. When you request help through dev support, receipts = results. It’s the only way to safeguard the credibility of your ios app review history.

So next time your app store app reviews go rogue, don’t panic. Pattern match, escalate smart, and monitor removals like it’s part of your sprint. Because for real pros? App review management includes reputation defense too.

The best review management software

When choosing the best review management software, you’ll want to focus on a few key features that make your life easier. Here’s what we think you should look for:

• Multi-platform integration. Your software should pull reviews from different platforms—Amazon, Google Play, App Store, etc.—so you can manage everything in one place.
• Automated responses. Look for software that can automate replies for common review types. Save yourself the trouble of doing it yourself!
• Sentiment analysis. This feature helps you quickly understand user online reviews by highlighting common themes in positive and negative reviews.
• Custom alerts. You’ll want to get notified about certain reviews—like 1-star or 5-star ratings—so you can prioritize your response.
• Reporting and analytics. A good tool provides detailed reports on trends, review volumes, and even competitor analysis to track how your app is performing in the market.

For a detailed breakdown of the best tools we tested, including features, pricing, and user online reviews, check out our full review article Reviews of Top 12 Best Customer Review Management Software.

Best Amazon Feedback & Review Management Software

Oh yes, the review jungle. Managing feedback on Amazon can feel like a never-ending task. With thousands of products and hundreds of reviews, you need a tool that does the heavy lifting. Here’s what we look for when testing Amazon online reviews and review management software:

• Automated feedback requests. The best tools automatically send out follow-up emails asking for reviews, helping boost your review count without manual effort.
• Review filtering and prioritization. A solid tool lets you filter by ratings or keywords (like “damaged” or “late”) so you can quickly address issues that could hurt your seller ranking.
• Performance tracking. See which products are getting the most reviews, and analyze trends to improve your offerings.
• Amazon compliance. Ensure the tool follows Amazon’s strict guidelines on review management to avoid penalties.

We’ve tested a variety of software options, and you can find the full review of the best Amazon feedback management tools.

FAQ on App Store review management

What are the app reviews in the Apple App Store?

App reviews in the Apple App Store are public online reviews from users about their experience with an app. Users can rate apps on a scale of 1 to 5 stars and leave written comments. These reviews are visible to anyone browsing the store, providing insights into an app's performance, usability, and overall quality.

Should I buy app reviews?

No, buying app reviews is against the guidelines of both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It can lead to penalties, including app removal. Focus on genuine user online reviews through ethical practices like improving your app’s performance and encouraging real users to leave reviews.

How important are App Store reviews?

App Store reviews are crucial for an app's success. They influence download rates, boost visibility in search results, and build trust with potential users. Positive reviews can lead to higher rankings, while negative reviews can provide insights for improvement.

Do Apple App Store and Google Play Store have the same guidelines?

No, while both stores have similar rules about genuine and non-manipulative reviews, there are differences in how they handle app store reviews, ratings calculations, and platform-specific features like review resetting (Apple) and device-specific ratings (Google Play).

How to get app reviews?

You can encourage app reviews by prompting users at the right moments, like after they achieve a milestone in the app. Using in-app feedback tools, responding to reviews, and maintaining a great user experience are key strategies. Avoid asking too early to prevent negative feedback.

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