In this guide
A rating that falls after a release feels like an emergency. Work through it in order. Most of the answer is usually in data you already have.
1. Confirm it is real
- Compare the rating of the new version with the previous one, if your console splits it. The overall average moves slowly; a version rating moves fast.
- Count how many new ratings you actually have. With a small number, two angry users look like a collapse.
- Check the date: did the change start at the release, or earlier?
2. Read the new reviews for patterns
Open every review since the release and sort it into a sheet with one line each:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Crash or freeze | "closes on start" |
| Broken feature | "sync stopped" |
| Changed behaviour | "where did X go?" |
| Money | new paywall, price |
| Other | ads, design, unrelated |
One category with many entries is your lead. Sort by version and device if the text gives it.
3. Check hard data
- Crash-free rate and the top crash by version, from your crash reporting.
- Whether the crash clusters on one OS version or device.
- Support mail since the release.
- Any server-side change that went out at the same time.
4. Decide
- Bug: fix, release, then reply to the affected reviews with the version number.
- Design or behaviour change: decide if it was deliberate. If yes, explain the reason once, publicly, and consider a small in-app note.
- Pricing change: see reply to a review about price.
- Nothing consistent: wait and keep collecting. Do not ship a change for noise.
If you can, roll out a fix to a share of users first, as described in how to test an update to a live app.
5. Message and follow up
Reply briefly with facts, never ask for a changed rating. A reviewer who sees a fix may update it, but that is theirs to decide. Apple's guideline 5.6.1 asks that replies stay targeted to the user's comments, with no personal information, spam or marketing. For Google Play, check the current official help pages before you template replies.
Prevent the next one
Private feedback from outside testers on the release candidate catches the "where did X go?" kind of problem that crash tools cannot see. On AppReviewX, one feedback you write earns one credit and new accounts start with 0 credits. Ask for feedback, not reviews around a release.
Related
- Hub: App reviews and ratings guide
- What a low rating means for installs
- Ask for feedback, not reviews
Get started and test your next update before it goes live.