Apple Disables App Store Reviews From Devices Running iOS 9

[Tech198]

That could work.. since u use the same AppleID to sign in to post a review. Since Apple would know which Apple ID's are part of the beta program, or developers, they could figue out a way to only share these comments with other beta testers..

kind of like a Waze map community

 

[Rafterman]

This is madness. Do you know how hard it can be to detect and work around a bug in the operating system? Do you think developers should spend a whole week working around a bug, then a week waiting for Apple to approve their app update only to find the OS bug fixed in the beta drop the next day? It's a complete waste of time and still wouldn't stop morons from tanking their rating over the course of those two weeks.

Depends on what is wrong. Sometimes, its just a awkward bit a code that can be cleaned up. A lot of times, its a graphics call. In my experience, most times if an app is going to have issues with a new version of iOS, it will happen early in beta or even alpha. Not too often does a compatibility issue suddenly pop up in a release candidate.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I'm shocked that a company as developed enough to release public betas do not create greater control and education on what a beta is and how it is used

They do a great job of it. The rules and suggestions for use are very clear, it's for developing and testing puposes only and should be installed on secondary devices for assessment only, not your main device. The advice for using all beta software packages is detailed and very clear before you can even get to the download page, if people are too stupid to read it or follow the advice that is their lookout.

 

[mizxco]

That could work.. since u use the same AppleID to sign in to post a review. Since Apple would know which Apple ID's are part of the beta program, or developers, they could figue out a way to only share these comments with other beta testers..

kind of like a Waze map community

I imagine it would be easier than that.. If useragent=iPhone,osversion=9.0

 

[azentropy]

Makes sense although I wish Apple would keep some sort of running list of apps known to have issues with iOS 9 that customers and developers could check and comment on.

 

[C DM]

Shhh!!!

C DM will come to haunt you down, he will probably say this only affects minimal amount of users.
And this prompt won't affect your overall user experience.

So it's a-ok!

Because I do that somehow? Seems like you have me confused with someone else. Seems like you also have something going on to randomly and irrelevantly start talking about some user in a thread instead of the actual topic.

 

[C DM]

While it is no longer possible to write App Store reviews while running iOS 9, it is still possible to leave star ratings.

So what do people think about the fact that reviews have been disabled but ratings have not, and people running the beta can apparently still leave bad ratings (just without reviews)?

Seems like Apple has only addressed the issue half way for some reason.

 

[gnasher729]

Those people aren't complaining for your benefit, they're complain to whoever is selling the item...

I realise they don't do it for my benefit. They are complaining because they are too stupid to see that a book sold for $22 is actually cheaper than two parts at $14 each. And they are complaining in a "Review" because they are too stupid that a review is there for reviewing an item, which should benefit every potential customer, and not for complaining which doesn't benefit anyone.

 

[AlliFlowers]

Yay Apple! Although, this is the first os update since iOS 6 where I haven't received tons of support email from non-devs telling me how our app is broken on the newest beta. Still - high time for this policy change!

 

[C DM]

Yay Apple! Although, this is the first os update since iOS 6 where I haven't received tons of support email from non-devs telling me how our app is broken on the newest beta. Still - high time for this policy change!

Still getting bad ratings though (since apparently those can still be submitted)?

 

[AlliFlowers]

Still getting bad ratings though (since apparently those can still be submitted)?

How do you know they're coming from beta devices?

 

[unplugme71]

That reviewer is a tool and should be canned from the Apple eco system for being dumb.

 

[gnasher729]

This is madness. Do you know how hard it can be to detect and work around a bug in the operating system? Do you think developers should spend a whole week working around a bug, then a week waiting for Apple to approve their app update only to find the OS bug fixed in the beta drop the next day? It's a complete waste of time and still wouldn't stop morons from tanking their rating over the course of those two weeks.
Why not just accept that a beta is a beta? If you're using a beta you're a beta tester and you are suppose to file bugs not bitch about them on public forums.

Most application crashes get fixed by the developer reporting the bug to Apple, Apple fixing it in the next beta release, and the crash goes away without any unnecessary work, both by developers and by app reviewers.

 

[mw360]

So what do people think about the fact that reviews have been disabled but ratings have not, and people running the beta can apparently still leave bad ratings (just without reviews)?

Seems like Apple has only addressed the issue half way for some reason.

It's a ridiculous but not surprising display of half-assedness. Their ability to put themselves into the minds of their users and communicate effectively has all but evaporated. Their pop up prompt is almost as stupid as the person it's trying to deter.

 

[Charlie Allen]

What is the procedure to let a developer know that their app is buggy in a beta? Perhaps its only buggy on some devices running the new OS. I use an app that I have enjoyed using for several years now. When the i go the beta for iOS 9 the app didnt work on my iPhone 6, but did on my iPad Air and some other devices. I couldn't find any easy way to get the info to the developer. I left a 5 star rating, because I love the app, and reported the specific challenges I had with the app. What is the best way to impart this info? I also thought other people running the new beta would like to know that the app didnt work if that would discourage them from running the beta because of their use of that app. The developer updated their app within a couple of days, I left another positive review thanking them.

 

[C DM]

How do you know they're coming from beta devices?

I'm guessing that's another thing that makes it that much more confusing that you could be getting bad ratings but no reviews accompanying them so you wouldn't even know what those bad ratings are about. Why disable one but not the other? Doesn't seem to make that much sense.

 

[HenryDJP]

Whoever writes Apple's pop-up prompts these days needs to get a sideways promotion. Why not give the user some guidance instead of a stonewall that will be interpreted as "some error"? Some of these reviewer dopes would probably just blame the app again when they saw this.

Wouldn't it be better to say...

"Beta software may operate incorrectly at times. Users running iOS 9 Beta should not submit app reviews. Please contact the app developers to provide feedback."

Yeah, sure. In your perfect world. This is the internet which is made up of tons of trolls and cowards who hide behind computers with an agenda. Simply telling people not to submit App reviews does nothing. The action has to be blocked as Apple is doing.

 

[C DM]

Yeah, sure. In your perfect world. This is the internet which is made up of tons of trolls and cowards who hide behind computers with an agenda. Simply telling people not to submit App reviews does nothing. The action has to be blocked as Apple is doing.

Or at least partially started to (finally) do it.

 

[Edgar Spayce]

It's Apple fault for not having a real practical way to give feedback on the beta, which I thought was the point of a beta?

Or maybe is the beta an excuse for Apple to monitor, gather and sell all of the user's information?

Also what's next? Censorship of final OS releases on the Appstore (have you seen Yosemite's reviews?)

 

[jtrenda33]

People are idiots, Leslie.

 

[iFanaddic]

Fact is, there are lots of reviews written by absolute idiots. i looked at one app that does X, clearly describes that it does X, does X very well, and has a few 5* reviews plus one 1* saying "I thought it does Y, but it doesn't". Well, if it clearly says it does X and you think it does Y, then you deserve the 1* and not the app.

One quite popular audiobook is on iTunes for $22, on Amazon it's two parts each for $14. Guess how many reviews complaining about the iTunes price (yes, $22 is so much more than 2 x $14). Idiots. And how is complaining about the price in a review useful to anyone? I can see the price. It's clearly advertised. You don't have to tell me in the review. Tell me about the product, the things that I cannot see from the product description.

You're so right.

I think Apple should implement a preview for apps where you can download and it stops working after a certain time (or lets you run non-premium features) I was very happy a few ios's back when they announced previews for apps, but they turned out to be presentation videos.. Let me try it for real!

People would try a lot more "unpopular paid apps"

 

[jtrenda33]

It's Apple fault for not having a real practical way to give feedback on the beta, which I thought was the point of a beta?

Or maybe is the beta an excuse for Apple to monitor, gather and sell all of the user's information?

Also what's next? Censorship of final OS releases on the Appstore (have you seen Yosemite's reviews?)

The point of the public beta is for the public to provide feedback to Apple using the iOS 9 Beta Feedback app, which comes pre-installed on the iOS 9 Beta. It is not for the public to submit feedback to third-party developers.

 

[dannyyankou]

It's Apple fault for not having a real practical way to give feedback on the beta, which I thought was the point of a beta?

Or maybe is the beta an excuse for Apple to monitor, gather and sell all of the user's information?

Also what's next? Censorship of final OS releases on the Appstore (have you seen Yosemite's reviews?)

Well, to your first point there are a few options. One is http://bugreport.apple.com. Another is http://Apple.com/feedback

And then there's this-

And there's this-

Also, Apple's not the government. They can "censor" whatever they want.

 

[buzzardo]

8.4.1 is just a bug fix release with no new features APIs, so it doesn't look so strange to me..

Unfortunately, sometimes these bug fix releases also create new bugs. Developers have to deal with 8.x.x changes and at the same time work on new features for 9.0. Apple creates it's own OS fragmentation like Android.

 

[jdillings]

That reviewer is a tool and should be canned from the Apple eco system for being dumb.

I agree. Probably an ex-Android user.