Google Play Store ratings to get big change in 2021
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Starting in November, Google will change the system of Play Store ratings for apps and games.
- Ratings are localized, causing some apps to have different ratings for people in different regions of the world.
- Over the next year, the ratings will become even more specific, taking device form factors into account.
Apps and games in the Google Play Store had aggregated rating results in the past. In other words, Google adds and averages all the scores from users around the world to create a final score. This is reflected in the star rating you see on all apps and games on Google Play.
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However, this system changes significantly this year. In November 2021, the Play Store ratings will be localized worldwide. This means that Google will aggregate the scores of users in a country and create a localized score. Therefore, the rating of an app in the US, for example, can be very different from the rating of the same app in Japan.
Google explained this impending change in a blog post today. Here is a relevant excerpt:
We’ve heard from both Play Store users and developers that ratings and reviews could be more helpful. This is especially true when reviews from one area unfairly influence another – for example, if a bug that only affected a single country negatively affects the app’s rating everywhere.
Google’s example there makes a lot of sense. Cultural issues can also affect Play Store ratings. For example, a game designed for people who speak French and are aware of French culture may not be well received by people from other countries. Why should the rating of this game be lowered by negative reviews from people who don’t “get it”?
In the future, Google will go even further.
In 2022, the form factor will have an impact on Play Store ratings
Localized assessments will begin this year. At some point in the next year, however, Google will incorporate at least one other variable: the form factor. This means that app ratings from tablet users are summarized differently than ratings from phone users.
Google explained this change using an example of “positive improvements in tablet experience” for an app that is “overlooked due to the number of users on phones”.
This affects all possible platforms including foldable phones, Android auto-focused apps, and more.
Google has not given a fixed rollout date for introducing form factor variables for Play Store ratings.
