How to Respond to App Reviews (With Templates for Both Stores)

Quick answer: Reply in App Store Connect (Ratings and Reviews) or Play Console (Ratings and reviews, then Reviews). Thank the person, address their exact point, give a concrete next step or fix, and keep it short, polite and free of marketing or personal data. Both stores notify the reviewer when you reply, and many people update their rating after a helpful answer.

Both stores let you post one public reply per review and edit it later, but the details differ:

Apple lets you respond to reviews of iOS, macOS, watchOS and visionOS apps, no matter how old the review is. You can also set up email alerts for when someone edits a review you've already answered. Google offers suggested replies for recent English reviews, which you can edit before publishing.

If a review is spam, abusive or off-topic, don't reply. Use "Report a Concern" in App Store Connect (the reviewer isn't notified) or report it through Play Console under Google's comment posting policy.

Both stores publish rules. App Store Review Guideline 5.6.1 asks you to treat customers with respect, keep responses targeted to their comments, and leave out personal information, spam and marketing. Google's guidance says replies should address the comment in a clear, valuable and truthful way, stay respectful, and not solicit or promote anything.

Within those rules, strong replies share five habits:

1. Use their words. If they wrote "the widget freezes," say "the widget freezing," not "the issue you reported."
2. Give a real next step. A version number with the fix, a setting to try, or a support address. "We're looking into it" alone reads as a brush-off.
3. Keep it short. Two to four sentences. Aim for under 350 characters on both stores so one template works everywhere.
4. Never argue in public. Even if the reviewer is wrong, explain calmly how the feature works. Other potential users read your reply more closely than the reviewer does.
5. Don't beg for stars. Fix the problem and say it's fixed. Many reviewers update on their own, and asking for a better rating can cross the "solicit" line on Google Play.

Sign replies with a first name or "the [App Name] team." It feels human and costs no characters worth worrying about.

Each template below stays under 350 characters. Replace the brackets, and never paste the same text under every review; repetitive replies look automated.

Bug report

"Thanks for flagging this, [Name]. The [feature] bug you hit is fixed in version [x.y], rolling out now. If it still happens after updating, email us at [support address] with your device model and we'll dig in right away."

Crash or lost data

"Sorry about the crash and the lost [notes/progress]. That's the worst thing an app can do. Please email [support address] with your device and OS version; in many cases we can help recover data from your [cloud backup/sync]. A fix for the crash is in version [x.y]."

Feature request

"Great idea, thank you. [Feature] is on our roadmap and your vote counts. We can't promise a date yet, but we'll mention it in the release notes when it ships. If you'd like to tell us more about how you'd use it, write to [support address]."

Praise

"Thank you, [Name]! It means a lot to our small team that [the feature they mentioned] made a difference. If you ever have ideas for what we should build next, we read every message at [support address]."

Angry user

"We're sorry [App Name] let you down. You're right that [specific point] isn't good enough. Here's what we're changing: [concrete change]. If you're open to it, write to [support address] and I'll personally make sure your problem gets solved."

Billing or subscription

"Sorry for the confusion about your subscription. Purchases and refunds are handled by [Apple/Google], so we can't see your payment details here. You can manage or cancel the subscription in your [App Store/Google Play] account settings, and we're happy to help at [support address]."

Misunderstanding (the feature already exists)

"Thanks for the feedback! Good news: [App Name] can already do this. Go to [Settings > Feature] and turn on [option]. We've made it easier to find in version [x.y]. Let us know if it works for you."

You won't have time to answer everything once volume grows. Triage like this:

Set a routine: check reviews after every release and at least weekly. App Store Connect and Play Console both let you filter by rating, and Play Console can break ratings down by country, app version, device type and more, which helps you spot a bad release fast.

Reviews are the cheapest user research you'll ever get, and they feed your marketing too:

• Steal their words for your copy. If people keep writing "finally a budget app that isn't confusing," that phrase is a better screenshot headline than anything from a brainstorm. See how to write App Store screenshot captions.
• Close the loop in release notes. "Fixed the widget freeze many of you reported" shows you listen. Our guide to App Store release notes has examples.
• Ask at the right time. Replies fix individual ratings; a well-timed prompt changes your average. Read the guides to the iOS in-app review prompt and the Google Play In-App Review API.
• Watch the average. Ratings are calculated per country or region and, on Google Play, weighted toward recent ratings. How App Store ratings work explains resets and display.