Earlier this year, Apple announced a few App Store review policy changes, which included the reveal of an official API for in-app review and rating requests that developers had the option to put in their apps beginning with iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 10.12.4. Additionally, Apple limited how often app developers can push out such prompts to just three times each year.

Today, 9to5Mac spotted a new section in the App Store Review Guidelines, pointing towards the launch of the new policy changes coming to iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra this fall. Specifically, in section 1.1.7 of the App Store Review guidelines, Apple states that it will "disallow custom review prompts" in all apps on the App Store.

app store in app prompt

Image via 9to5Mac

The update also allows developers to respond to customer reviews for the first time.

1.1.7 App Store Reviews:
- App Store customer reviews can be an integral part of the app experience, so you should treat customers with respect when responding to their comments. Keep your responses targeted to the user’s comments and do not include personal information, spam, or marketing in your response.
- Use the provided API to prompt users to review your app; this functionality allows customers to provide an App Store rating and review without the inconvenience of leaving your app, and we will disallow custom review prompts.

The new user interface includes the App Store's traditional 5-star rating system in a pop-up box, allowing users to enter their opinion of the app without needing to leave it and visit the App Store to submit a review, as was previously the case. In addition to Apple limiting these pop-up boxes to only appear three times per year, if a user actually submits a review for the app, the developer can never request an in-app pop-up review from that user again.

new app store ios 11

The new App Store in iOS 11

Adding to the strain on in-app review prompts, users can now also turn off these requests completely with a new "In-App Ratings & Reviews" toggle found in the iTunes and App Store section of Settings on iOS 11.

When the updates take full effect, it means that developers won't be able to ask a user for another review of an app after the same user submits a rating using Apple's in-app prompt, even if the app has recently received a huge update. On the plus side, star ratings can now carry over across updates -- if the developer chooses -- so that the App Store rating system is a true overall aggregate of an app and not just user opinions on the app's current iteration.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
103 months ago
All sounds like good news to me.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
longofest Avatar
103 months ago
Thank god! Those have been such a pain.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M_Json Avatar
103 months ago
Tinder is one of those apps which keeps asking me to give it a positive review. I just want to swipe through all the girls without being disturbed..
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
103 months ago
This is why I love Apple.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
earthTOmitchel Avatar
103 months ago
Tinder is one of those apps which keeps asking me to give it a positive review. I just want to swipe through all the girls without being disturbed..
Okay I'm glad someone else brought this up so I don't have to.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlc1978 Avatar
103 months ago
I liked the separation of reviews by major upgrade. That made it easy to see if a developer somehow messed up the app. One app I used a lot got a complete UI overhaul which ruined the previous workflow and resulted in a lot of 1 star reviews. The author brought back the old UI and the 1 stars went back to five since it was a great app once the poorly thought out UI change was rescinded.

The new system means:

1. Apps with lots of reviews that undergo significant changes that users don't like will still have nearly 5 stars simply from sheer numbers; unless Apple weights newer reviews more heavily.

2. Developers of new apps, who fix serious problems with an update will still be poorly rated due to a previous version.

Given that people most likely simply look at stars when deciding at what apps to look closer this skews what they see.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iphone 17 pro majin bu sky blue

iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Concept mockup from Majin Bu Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...