AppFollow provides valuable insights into your app’s performance by collecting reviews and ratings from the App Store and Google Play. However, the way this data is gathered depends on the platform and your AppFollow setup. Below is a breakdown of how reviews and ratings are collected for each store.
App Store
Reviews:
AppFollow collects reviews retrospectively. This means that once you add an app to the AppFollow database, historical reviews will be available.
Developer replies that were published outside of AppFollow are collected only during the initial review collection or upon request to the Support team.
Ratings:
Total Ratings: Only available from the date the app is added to the AppFollow database.
Incremental Ratings: Similar to total ratings, incremental ratings are collected only from the date the app is added.
Google Play
Reviews:
Like the App Store, AppFollow collects Google Play reviews retrospectively, ensuring you have access to historical feedback.
Developer replies that were published outside of AppFollow are collected only during the initial review collection or upon request to the Support team.
The speed at which reviews are collected from Google Play depends on the type of connection you’ve set up in AppFollow. Some connection types allow for faster and more stable review updates than others. See the table below for a comparison.
| Connection Type | Average Collection Time | Reliability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public (No connection) | Up to 24 hours | Moderate | This is the default connection. Reviews are updated daily. |
| Invite User | ~1 hour or up to 24 hours | Medium (unofficial method) | ~1 hour if both Reply to reviews and Receive reviews faster + Country data are enabled. Up to 24 hours if only Reply to reviews is enabled. |
| Service Account | 5–10 minutes | High (stable & official) | Fastest and most reliable method |
Ratings:
Total Ratings: Collected only from the date the app is added to the AppFollow database.
Incremental Ratings: Can be collected retrospectively if the Google Play Console is connected to AppFollow.
How to Ensure Complete Data Collection
To maximize the data available for your app, follow these best practices:
Add your app to AppFollow as soon as possible to ensure ratings are tracked from the earliest possible date.
Connect your Google Play Console to AppFollow to retrieve retrospective incremental ratings.
In some cases reviews might be recollected by request.
If you have any questions or need assistance, reach out to our support team!