How the average is shown
Both stores display an average star rating and the total count on the product page and in search results. The average is one of the first things a user sees, which is why it has a direct effect on app store conversion rate.
- Apple App Store: the rating is calculated per country storefront. Developers can choose to reset the rating when they release a new version.
- Google Play: the rating gives more weight to recent ratings and can differ by country and by device type (phone, tablet, Chromebook…).
How to improve an app rating
- Ask at the right moment with the in-app review prompt — after a success, not on first launch.
- Fix what low ratings complain about. Read the text of app reviews, not just the stars.
- Answer unhappy users with a developer response. Users can update their rating after a reply.
- Watch for sudden drops — a bad release or review bombing shows up in ratings within hours.
Example
An app with 4.7 stars from 12,000 ratings ships a broken login. Within two days, dozens of one-star ratings arrive. Spotting them early — with app review monitoring — is the difference between a dip and a lasting drop.