Should you reset your App Store rating? How the reset works, when it helps, and what to do on Google Play

Apple lets you reset your App Store rating when you release a new version of your app, and almost nobody else does: Google Play has no equivalent. It is a one-way switch. Used well, it lets a fixed app shed a 2.9-star average earned by a broken version. Used badly, it swaps thousands of ratings for a product page that says the rating was recently reset and shows no stars at all until enough people rate again.

This guide explains exactly what the App Store rating reset does, step by step instructions for App Store Connect, how to decide whether to use it, and how to rebuild ratings quickly afterward, on iOS and on Google Play. The rules come from Apple's and Google's own documentation, linked throughout.

Key takeaways

• The reset is chosen per version and takes effect when that version is released, in all territories at once.
• Written reviews stay visible. Only the star rating starts over, and it cannot be restored after release.
• Apple recommends using it "sparingly", because "having few ratings may discourage potential users from downloading your app."
• Google Play has no reset. Its rating is already weighted toward recent ratings, so steady fixes and a good prompt do the job.

How App Store ratings work#

Apple's ratings and reviews page says individual ratings inform your app's summary rating, "which is displayed on your product page and in search results", and that this summary rating "is specific to each territory on the App Store." In App Store Connect's help, the same number is now called the overview rating.

It matters for discovery, not just conversion. Apple's App Store search page lists "ratings and reviews" among the user behavior signals behind search results, and says they "can influence how your app ranks in App Store search." A low rating therefore costs you twice: fewer people tap your result, and the result may sit lower to begin with. Our guide to App Store search changes in 2026 covers the other ranking inputs.

A rating that slipped because of one bad release is the case the reset was designed for. Photo: Ann H / Pexels

What resetting your App Store rating does, and does not do#

Apple's reset help page is short, and every line matters:

Two consequences are easy to miss:

• You cannot reset one country. If your rating is poor in one market because of a localization bug but strong elsewhere, a reset throws away the good ratings everywhere too.
• Your worst reviews remain. If the reviews visible on your page describe the old problem, the reset removes the stars but not the story. Reply to those reviews before you release, saying the issue is fixed in the new version.

Apple does not publish how many new ratings are "enough" for the new rating to appear, so plan for a period with no stars on your page.

How to reset your App Store rating, step by step#

You need the Admin or App Manager role in App Store Connect.

1. In Apps, select your app.
2. In the sidebar, click the new app version you are about to submit.
3. Find the Reset Overview Rating section and select Reset rating when this version is released.
4. Click Save, then submit the version for review as usual.

Apple says that after you submit, "your app's overview rating will reset on the App Store when the version is released." If you use manual release, nothing changes on the store until you press release, so the reset lands on a day you choose, ideally one when you can also send traffic to the page. If you are planning the timing of the release, our guide to App Store review time explains how to submit early and release on your own date.

Should you reset your App Store rating?#

Apple's own advice is the best starting point: "we recommend using this feature sparingly." A reset "can ensure that it reflects the most current version of your app", which "can be useful if an update addresses users' previous concerns", but "having few ratings may discourage potential users from downloading your app."

Turn that into a decision:

A rough sanity check before you decide: look at Ratings and Reviews in App Store Connect, filter to the period since your last major version, and see what your recent ratings average. If recent ratings are already much better than the overall number, a reset has something to show quickly. If recent ratings are just as low, a reset only hides the problem for a few weeks.

A worked example#

Suppose your app has 1,200 ratings averaging 3.1 stars, most of the one-star ratings arrived during a sync bug in version 4.0, and ratings since the 4.2 fix average 4.5. You get around 150 new ratings a month in your main markets. Here a reset with version 4.3 is reasonable: the new number should reflect the fixed product within weeks, and the 4.0 complaints in written reviews can be answered.

Now suppose the same app gets 10 ratings a month. A reset would leave the page without a rating for a long time, and Apple's warning about "few ratings" applies directly. Better to keep the rating and grow it with a well-timed prompt.

How to rebuild ratings after a reset#

A reset only works if new ratings arrive quickly, which means asking at the right time.

On iOS: request a review at a success moment#

Apple says you can prompt "up to three times in a 365-day period", and that you should ask "when users are most likely to feel satisfaction with your app, such as when they've completed an action, level, or task." In SwiftUI, use the requestReview environment action:

import StoreKit
import SwiftUI

struct ExportDoneView: View {
    @Environment(\.requestReview) private var requestReview
    @AppStorage("successfulExports") private var successfulExports = 0

    var body: some View {
        Text("Export complete")
            .task {
                successfulExports += 1
                // Ask after a repeated success, never on first launch
                if successfulExports == 3 {
                    requestReview()
                }
            }
    }
}

The system decides whether the prompt actually appears, so never tie it to a button labeled "Rate us". For a button, link to your product page with ?action=write-review added to the App Store URL instead.

Answer the reviews that are still visible#

Because written reviews survive the reset, they become the first thing a visitor reads under an empty rating. Apple says that when you respond, "the reviewer is notified and has the option to update their review." Prioritize "reviews with the lowest star ratings or those mentioning technical issues with the current version", as Apple suggests. Our guide on how to respond to app reviews has reply templates.

After a reset, the new rating is built only from people who used the new version, so the prompt timing decides what it settles at. Photo: Ann H / Pexels

What to do on Google Play, where there is no reset#

Google Play does not offer a reset. Google's ratings help page states that "App ratings don't start over when you publish a new version of your app." It does not need one as much, for two reasons:

• The public rating is weighted toward recent ratings. Google says "the rating that users see on Google Play is weighted towards more recent ratings", and Play Console shows it separately from your lifetime average.
• Ratings are country and device specific. Since Google's 2021 change, users on phones see ratings for their registered country, and users on tablets, Chromebooks, wearables and other form factors see ratings for their device type. A bug in one market or on one form factor hurts that slice, not your whole rating.

So on Android the fix is the fix: ship it, then collect fresh ratings with the in-app review API:

val manager = ReviewManagerFactory.create(context)
manager.requestReviewFlow().addOnCompleteListener { request ->
    if (request.isSuccessful) {
        manager.launchReviewFlow(activity, request.result)
            .addOnCompleteListener { /* continue the user's flow either way */ }
    }
}

Google's rules are strict: do not ask "any questions before or while presenting the rating button or card, including questions about their opinion (such as 'Do you like the app?')", and do not trigger it from a button, because a time-bound quota means the dialog may not show. Users can also "update their rating or review at any time", so replying to old complaints after a fix can move your number too.

A checklist before you reset#

• Recent ratings (since the fix) are clearly better than the overall average.
• You get enough ratings each month to rebuild a number within weeks.
• A rating prompt fires after a success moment in the new version.
• Visible negative reviews about the old problem have replies saying it is fixed.
• The version is set to manual release, so the reset lands on a day you choose.
• You have accepted that the old rating cannot be restored after release.
• On Google Play: the fix is shipped, and the in-app review flow is live.

After the reset: send people to the new version#

A reset leaves you with a short window where every new rating counts more than usual, so it is a good moment to bring people to the store page. Our guide on how to promote your app for free covers tracked links and community channels, and our store listing guide helps the page convert while the rating rebuilds. On AppRanker you can also promote your app on a pay-to-rank leaderboard where the order is a plain sort on what each listing has paid, not on ratings, with every row linking straight to your App Store or Google Play page.

FAQ#

Does resetting my App Store rating delete my reviews?#

No. Apple says the reset "won't apply to written customer reviews, which will continue to display on the App Store." Only the star rating starts over.

Can I reset my App Store rating in only one country?#

No. Apple says the reset "affects all regions or countries simultaneously," even though the rating itself is calculated per territory.

Can I undo an App Store rating reset?#

No. Apple says that once you release the new version, "you won't be able to restore the previous rating." Decide before you submit.

How many ratings does a new App Store rating need?#

Apple only says a new rating appears "once there are enough users that have rated the new version" and does not publish a number. Until then, your product page shows a message that the rating was recently reset.

Can I reset my Google Play rating?#

No. Google says "App ratings don't start over when you publish a new version of your app." The public Google Play rating is already weighted toward recent ratings, so new, better ratings move it over time.

Does a rating reset affect App Store search ranking?#

Apple says ratings and reviews "can influence how your app ranks in App Store search" but does not say how a reset is treated. Expect a period with fewer ratings, and plan promotion to rebuild them quickly.

Image credits#

• Cover, five yellow stars on a pink and blue background: photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Pexels, Pexels License. Cropped to 1200x630.
• Four wooden stars on a deep blue background: photo by Ann H on Pexels, Pexels License. Cropped and resized.
• Five wooden stars on a blue background: photo by Ann H on Pexels, Pexels License. Resized.