No incentivized or fake reviews or rating manipulation
Why it matters
Apple's guideline 1.1.7 and Google Play Developer Policy both explicitly prohibit incentivized reviews and review gating. Offering in-app currency for a review (if (userLeftReview) grantCoins(50)) is a direct policy violation detectable in source code. Review gating — asking "Do you like our app?" and only showing the store prompt if the answer is "Yes" — is equally prohibited because it systematically filters out negative reviewers. Both practices result in App Store rating manipulation, which Apple takes seriously. Reviewers actively look for both patterns, and discovery results in immediate rejection plus potential listing removal.
Severity rationale
High because both incentivized reviews and review gating are explicitly prohibited by Apple guideline 1.1.7 and can result in rejection plus listing consequences.
Remediation
Remove any coin/reward grant tied to review submission and any satisfaction pre-filter before the rating prompt.
// Correct: trigger rating prompt after a meaningful task, no pre-screening
import * as StoreReview from 'expo-store-review';
async function onOrderCompleted() {
const completedCount = await AsyncStorage.getItem('order_count');
const hasPrompted = await AsyncStorage.getItem('has_rated');
if (parseInt(completedCount ?? '0') >= 3 && !hasPrompted) {
if (await StoreReview.hasAction()) {
await StoreReview.requestReview();
await AsyncStorage.setItem('has_rated', 'true');
}
}
}
Delete any if (userSaidTheyLikeApp) showRatingPrompt() branching logic. Never grant rewards contingent on a review submission. Apple's system caps the native dialog to 3 prompts per year — your code should also track and respect this limit.
DetectionPro
The detection method for this pattern is part of AuditBuffet Pro.
The full method (what to look for, pass and fail conditions, and how results get reported) ships inside the App Store Review Blockers Audit. The pattern definition, severity rationale, and remediation remain openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
External references
- external · apple-guideline-1.1.7-ratings-manipulation — Apple App Store Review Guideline 1.1.7 — No Incentivized or Manipulated Ratings
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from app-store-review-blockers·automated