AllYouCanTech

Developers contend that Apple’s App Store ratings are inherently flawed in at least a few significant respects – including the notion that a 4-star rating could potentially be more detrimental than beneficial.

They also underline the tension between users’ desire for an uninterrupted app experience and Apple’s insistence that developers prompt users for ratings and reviews.

Every iPhone developer understands that having their app spotlighted by Apple can be the crucial factor separating obscurity from tremendous success. This, they argue, is where the initial problem with App Store ratings emerges.

## Encouraging/nagging users to review

App users typically dislike being asked repeatedly to rate and review an app, particularly when it disrupts their intended use of the app. Developer Steven Troughton-Smith states that they have no option but to do so, as a substantial number of 5-star reviews is what prompts Apple to showcase apps – and encouraging users is what secures those reviews.

> Rating prompts can determine whether a fantastic app garners five favorable reviews or thousands of them. I would never advise a developer against utilizing the APIs. Not doing so is akin to App Store Editorial demise for most apps, as Apple tends to selectively highlight those with substantial review data.

He suggests that developers should display this prompt when users launch the app, revisiting it every few months. However, others argue that this is the least favorable moment to do so.

> Present it after an action that **concludes** what the user aimed to achieve. Like saving or publishing. But absolutely not after launching the app. I opened the app because I wish to accomplish something with it – this is the worst time for interruptions.

This can be challenging, however, as developers may not necessarily recognize when you have fulfilled your goal.

## A 4-star review is a negative evaluation

Another problem is the inconsistency between user perceptions of the star rating system and how it functions in reality. This mirrors the concern that has arisen with Uber driver ratings.

Logically, one might anticipate the star ratings to function as follows:

– 3 is the standard rating, indicating that the app performed as anticipated
– 4 = ‘Better than expected’
– 5 = ‘Flawless – could not be enhanced’
– 2 = ‘Below expectations’
– 1 = ‘Terrible/unusable’

Developers like Terry Godier assert this isn’t how it operates in practice. Apple is solely focused on 5-star ratings, and if you submit a 4-star review with positive intent, it may inadvertently harm the app’s reputation.

> If your app has a 4.1 star rating in the App Store, any 4-star review will lower that average. In essence, submitting a 4-star review equates to providing a negative evaluation.

## Should Apple transition to thumbs?

John Gruber posits that the solution for Apple lies in discarding the star system to better align it with the rating behavior of the majority of users – which generally involves giving a 5 to an app they appreciate and a 1 to one they disdain.

> Star-rating systems are fundamentally ineffective for aggregation. If you want to compile and average ratings from users, the most efficient system is binary: thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Netflix switched from stars to thumbs in 2017, and YouTube made the transition as far back as 2009. The App Store should adopt thumbs.

What do you think? Should Apple replace star ratings with a like/dislike feature? And how should Apple address the challenge of rating/review prompts?

A judge has determined that the Trump administration should not have pressured Apple and Google into eliminating apps that monitor the activities of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement). A preliminary injunction has been granted, suggesting that the developers of ICE Sightings and Eyes Up are poised to prevail in their assertion that the government stifled protected speech under the First Amendment.

### A Brief Overview of the ICE Tracker Dispute

The dispute began with an application called ICEBlock, which enabled users to report sightings of ICE agents. After receiving criticism from the White House, the app experienced a surge in popularity, illustrating the Streisand Effect. The US Attorney General cautioned the developer to “be careful,” resulting in Apple removing the app from its App Store. Lawmakers interrogated Apple regarding its actions, and Meta disbanded a Facebook group with a comparable objective. The House Judiciary Committee later initiated an investigation into whether the DOJ illicitly coerced Apple and Google into removing these applications.

### Judge Issues Developers an Injunction

The developers of ICE Sightings and Eyes Up initiated legal action, contending that the government was infringing upon their First Amendment rights by restricting their speech. Judge Jorge L. Alonso of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a preliminary injunction, indicating that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their lawsuit. The ruling prevents the federal government from compelling platforms to eliminate these applications.

The plaintiffs receive support from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which expressed optimism regarding the ruling. FIRE noted that the court’s verdict safeguards the reporting on ICE activities utilizing publicly accessible information.