How to get more App Store ratings without annoying anyone

Ratings do two things at once: they move you up or down in search results and they change how many people install when they find you. A page under 4.5 stars is paying a tax on every impression. The fix is not to ask more often; it is to ask at the right moment.

The moment

Right after a good result. The story was played to the end. The stroopwafel reward was collected. The scene was saved. These are moments when the person has just received value and is in a good mood about the app. Asking on launch, during onboarding or after an error is asking at the exact wrong time.

The prompt

Use the native rating prompt. It is the only one Apple's guidelines allow, it lets people rate without leaving the app, and it converts better than any custom dialog. Do not put your own "Enjoying the app?" screen in front of it; that is an extra tap for them and an extra chance to say no.

How often

The system shows the native prompt only a few times a year per user regardless of how often you call it, so there is no benefit to calling it on every good moment. Choose the one best moment, call it there, and let the system decide.

What to do with the bad ones

Reply. A calm, specific reply to a one-star review is read by every shopper who scrolls to the reviews, and it tells them two things: there is a human behind the app, and problems get fixed. If the review describes a real bug, fix it and reply again when it ships; people update their rating more often than you would expect.

What not to do

• Ask after a crash or an error.
• Gate a feature behind leaving a review.
• Pre-filter with a "happy or sad" screen that only sends happy users to the store. It is against the guidelines and users recognise it.
• Buy reviews. The pattern is obvious and the consequences are severe.

The most reliable way to a 4.8 is still the boring one: an app that keeps its promise, asked about at the right moment.