App Store Ratings with iOS 11 version

I would love to know as well. Just submitted an update for iOS11, and don't see the option anywhere in iTunes Connect.

This is becoming quite critical.

We have been holding a release back, because we did not want the ratings reset, and we need to provide an update for iOS 11.

I am also in the same position. I do not want my ratings removed and am waiting for the update.

https://developer.apple.com/app-store/ratings-and-reviews/

"You’ll soon be able to reset your app’s summary rating when you release a new version of your app."

I'm waiting for this as well. I wonder if this could mean that the default (i.e. the one currently active for any apps submitted now) is for reviews to NOT reset, and that they will soon add the ability to reset, on request.

Yes, we've been holding off an update as well, waiting for this to be released.

Can someone from Apple comment on when this feature will be available ?

I would love to know about this.

I need to update my app to 64 bit from 32bit for iOS11

But I don't want to reset my ratings ! It has a lot of good ratings.

I would love to khow how can I update my app without reset ratings...

UPDATE:

So as of a couple of days ago it would appear that when a new update is released the Ratings are no longer reset. The Ratings form the previous version are still shown and new ratings are then added to these.

I guess the iTunes Connect option to reset rating for a new version release will be added at some point in the future.

But the issue that they were being reset when a developer did not want them reset, seems to now be resolved.

Looks like everything is ready for the general Apple iOS 11 release and the new App Store tommorrow.

Thanks Steve for the information. You have released an update and came to know this from that, right? I have got my app update reviewed but have holded release to weekend to know about this ratings thing.

Was your case that you got to keep the review + stars from only the previous version of the App (they will no longer reset from now on)? Or are ALL your historic reviews & ratings added to the current version (not reset from the beginning of time)?

Yes that is what has happened with my app.

Kept ratings from the previous version of the app.

According to Apple Developer Support:

Thank you for contacting us.

Reviews are version specific. So, when you submit a new version of an app, the existing reviews will show up in ‘All Versions’ but will not show up on the updated version of the app.

There is no feature that can prevent this from happening once you submit a new version. I can submit a feedback to the appropriate team on your behalf if you wish.

I hope this information was helpful.

If you have additional questions related to this request, please reference case number ************.

Best regards,

Hanh
Apple Inc.

So, after they released iOS 11 public, our reviews were reset to the version we released for iOS 11.

Yesterday, the ratings of the prior version was included, today, they were gone.

Big bummer :-(

We released iOS 11 GM built updates around Sept 17th so that all our apps were updated and ready for iOS 11 in time for the general release on Sept 19th. Surely Apple would encourage that behaviour from developers.

Since Sept 16th the New App Store (when viewed on iOS 11 beta device), has shown that the apps ratings for the previous version would not be wiped out. Any new ratings for the newly released version were just added to that total.

This was consistent with the Apple docs that described the behaviour of the new App Store in that I had not chosen to reset my app's ratings in iTunes Connect.

So I hit the release button for my updates.

At least thinking that my apps would keep the ratings amassed from the last version (if not any from all the previous years of versions).

But now today with the official release of iOS 11 all the ratings have been wiped and my apps only now shows the few rating I have got in the last couple of days on our new latest iOS 11 update.

And now to rub salt into the wound the “Don’t Wipe All My Ratings” button has just appeared on iTunes Connect!

Surely as developers we should have had a choice with the New App Store, not having it forced on us to wipe our ratings.

If all developers waited till today Sept 19th, to submit iOS 11 updates, the apps on the App Store would not be ready for the general release of the new iOS.

I do not think the way Apple has implemented this change this has been thought through properly. Because I do not believe, and really hope, that Apple would not behave in this way towards its developers.

I would ask that the ratings shown on the New App Store reflect the fact that developers have not requested to have any ratings reset throughout this whole beta period of the New App Store. Is this not the default behaviour of the new app store.

That is ratings that it should show to be consist wit the docs that Apple released. At this point now if developers want they can elect to have their ratings wiped in iTunes Connect when submitting a new update.

I previously have had only good things to say about developing apps for the Apple App Store, but right now I am rather ****** off.

+1

The option is there at the very bottom of the page when you create a new version. It's called Reset iOS Summary Rating. This only allows you to control whether or not ratings are reset.

I have years of ratings in my current app - I haven't updated the app yet but in iOS 11 it only shows ratings for the current version. Does that mean all the previous ratings from versions over the years are now gone?

Ratings and reviews are different. Ratings were reset after every update. We now have the option to reset all ratings to start over however reviews are wiped out afer updates? Apple could have done a better job relaying this information to developers. We rely on customers ratings/reviews for discoverability.

You can reset your app’s summary rating for all territories when you release this version. Keep in mind that once this version is released, you won’t be able to restore the rating. Your app’s existing customer reviews will still appear on the App Store.

I understand that, however I have 20k+ ratings over the years from previous versions I would like to keep however right not it only shows the current version rating (without having pushed an update to reset ratings).

Wait, what!?? Where did all the ratings/reviews for the app go? We had over 4K reviews over it’s life time but now it’s only showing the number of reviews of the current version. We haven’t updated it or touched it.

Apple said this about that this morning...

-=-

Now it’s quicker and easier for users to see your app's rating, with just one summary rating that displays on your product page. This summary rating is based on ratings of your app's current version as of September 19 (Pacific Time), and is specific to each territory on the App Store. New ratings will continue to count towards this summary, and you can choose to reset your summary rating when you release a new version of your app. Customer reviews for all versions of your app will continue to display on your product page.

Learn about Ratings, Reviews, and Responses.

Not only did I also get caught up in the whole keep review stars during the pre release of iOS 11, I have also just noticed that old written reviews are showing up now. For example: One of my apps had some problems a year ago that I fixed, and when I had updated for the fix all the written one star reviews went away and I ceased to get any new ones. Now all of the sudden reviews from multiple versions ago are all showing up and deceiving potential customers from downloading the app because they think the app still has these problems! I am very frustrated with how this rollout has been handled...

The Tail of Two App Developers:

The GOOD Developer:

He had been checking his app on all iOS 11 beta releases for the last 3 months.

Then on Sept 12, as soon as the iOS 11 GM seed was released and iTunes Connect started to accept updates built with iOS 11, he submitted new updates.

He wanted to get the apps through the review process and available for his users, before the general release of iOS 11 on Sept 19.

He released his iOS 11 updates in plenty of time on Sept 17.

On Sept 19 All his app ratings disappear, accept for the few he had managed to get for his new update he release 2 days ago.

He lost potential customers from downloading his app because the new App Store showed hardly any ratings for his app.

Not happy.

The BAD Developer:

He did nothing…. for months.

Then on Sept 20 he started to get emails and reports that his app did not work properly on iOS 11. So at that point he updated his Xcode, fixed the issues and submitted new updates.

There was a new option he noticed in iTunes Connect, “Rest All Ratings”, well he certainly did not want to do that, so he did not switch that on.

His updates were released and he got to keep all his ratings from his previous app version and all his new app ratings were then added to that total.

He lived happy ever after, since his ratings looked so much better than his competitor app built by the Good developer.

The Moral for Apple:

Developers that submitted new updates, built with iOS 11, after Sept 12, were effectively submitting updates for the New App Store.

They included meta data, some of which was now required, with those updates (App Subtitles, Promotional Text, Screenshots adjusted for the new App Store, App Previews since now they would play automatically) specifically for the New App Store.

These were iOS 11 updates submitted for the New App Store and not the old app store.

The Default behaviour of the New App Store is that App Ratings are not wiped. Unless the developer turns ON the options to wipe ratings with the new release.

Well until Sept 19 the option was not even displayed in iTunes Connect, so the default behaviour should have happened and the ratings not wiped.

What should have happened is the reset ratings option in iTunes should have appeared on Sept 12 (for developers submitting updates built with iOS 11 and designed for the New App Store).

The fact that the option did not appear in iTunes connect until Sept 19, the lack of the display of the option, should mean the default behaviour should happen.

For all the above reasons I would suggest that the ratings in the new App Store (for updates submitted after Sept 12) should show a total of the previous version AND the new version just like the Bad developer's does. Not just the new version.

Unless the moral pot the story is that we should all be lazy Bad developers!

Please sort this out Apple.

100% agree! Hope someone at Apple is listening and they reasses their decision. Hopefully someone in the press can take up the issue as well, as it's really hurting developers.

+1