Tomas Chlebek Instead of using the application, it is necessary to first click on the window inviting you to rate it in the App Store – this counterproductive tactic is what Apple wants to prevent in a way that is effective for both parties.
This week, the app approval rules for the App Store have changed, and from the user's point of view, the most significant change is the regulation of the display of rating prompts. Applications will no longer be able to display prompts at any time and in any way. More precisely, they will be able to do so three times a year and only through a challenge window created by Apple.
The own window with a call for evaluation, which does not require leaving the application for evaluation, was created a few months ago, but only now will it become the only accepted solution. How long the transition to Apple windows will take is not yet clear.
Furthermore, an app will only be able to see a challenge three times per year regardless of how many app updates are released, and perhaps most importantly, once a user rates an app, they will never see the challenge again. If some users find even this condition problematic, they will be able to completely disable the display of prompts in the settings of the iOS device in question.
The new rules should be beneficial for both users and developers. They will not be able to annoy users by asking them to rate, and thanks to the possibility to rate the application without leaving it, they may even get more ratings.
One of the reasons why developers have tended to ask users for ratings over and over again stems from the way the App Store works. In it, the rating was reset after each update of the application. However, this would only make sense if users were willing to constantly rate again and again, which is not the case for most. In the new App Store in iOS 11, developers will be able to keep ratings even after the update and reset them only after the most significant ones.
As for written reviews, which will also require a visit to the App Store in iOS 11, users will be able to edit them and developers will be able to respond to them in the same way. Each user will be able to write one review, to which the developer will be able to add one reaction.
