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More First-Party Apple Apps Can Be Rated, Including Phone, Messages, Photos and Safari

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Starting in late September, Apple began letting users rate pre-installed first-party apps in the App Store, putting them on par with third-party apps. Apple did not previously allow its own apps to be rated, even though the apps were listed in the App Store.

app-store-blue-banner.jpg

At the time, Apple implemented the star ratings for a limited number of its apps like Mail, Podcasts, and Maps, and now Apple is allowing additional iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps to be rated. As noted by developer Kosta Eleftheriou, Apple is allowing ratings for Phone, Photos, Messages, Safari, Clock, Camera, Apple Health, World Clock, Workout, Heart Rate, and more.


Ratings for Apple's own apps let users provide feedback on pre-installed apps, and there are reviews available in addition to the one to five star options. Some Apple apps that have had reviews available for some time, such as Podcasts and Mail, have garnered negative reviews.

Phone, Messages, Photos, Safari, and others have only been ratable since October 25, so there are few ratings to analyze at this time. Eleftheriou pointed out a curiosity with Safari -- it has an age rating of 4+, but other browsers are listed at 17+.

messages-app-store-reviews.jpg

Apple may use these ratings to gather more targeted feedback for app improvements going forward, but many of these apps are only updated and tweaked as part of major software updates as they do not function like standard third-party apps.

Article Link: More First-Party Apple Apps Can Be Rated, Including Phone, Messages, Photos and Safari
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/10/27/apple-apps-ratings-messages-phone-safari/
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Hopefully this also means that Apple will sometimes update their apps independently from iOS updates.

For example:
  1. Give us an option to display favicons in Bookmarks in Safari app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
  2. Or make Recents searchable in Phone app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
  3. Or make Hidden Photos in Photos app Face ID-protectable without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
  4. Or an option to display full URL in Safari app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
  5. Or an option to turn off Smart Addresses in Mail app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
 
Last edited:
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Good move-- they'll need a thick skin, but there's probably some useful information buried in whatever noise they get. The old feedback page feels antiquated.
 
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On one hand I’m happy they’re doing this, as I hope public comments drive them toward improvements.

On the other hand, I’m guessing many may get filtered and they’ll maintain 5 stars. Or 4 stars as to not look suspicious. :)
 
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Wildkraut said:
lol rating non-replaceable Apps makes no sense!
Click to expand...
I think it’ll be good, it’ll show Apple that the apps they force on us aren’t necessarily good, despite them marketing them as such.

Won’t be a good look for Apple if their core apps have 1 or 2 star ratings and don’t update the issues
 
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F72E219F-DDD3-4634-A755-93ABB33129A1.jpeg
I wonder why it gives the option to download even though Safari is already installed? ?
 
Chrjy said:
I don't get this! Any first party app is replaceable if you choose to....am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Try placing a call without Apples Phone App, no replacement.
Replaceable Safari is a half baked replacement, with a enforced browser engine.
Maps can’t be fully replaced, map links ends in nirvana once Maps is gone, link’s can’t be mapped to another Maps App.

Just to name a few!
 
What is "Find Devices"?

apps.apple.com

‎Find Devices

‎On Apple Watch, you can view the current location of your Apple devices and devices in your Family Sharing group, have them play a sound, get notified when they’re found or when you leave them behind, and put them into Lost Mode. Features • View the location of your missing iPhone, iPad...
apps.apple.com apps.apple.com
 
Wildkraut said:
Try placing a call without Apples Phone App, no replacement.
Replaceable Safari is a half baked replacement, with a enforced browser engine.
Maps can’t be fully replaced, map links ends in nirvana once Maps is gone, link’s can’t be mapped to another Maps App.

Just to name a few!
Click to expand...

I think I must still be missing something:
Phone: I guess you could argue that but it's just a phone app, not entirely sure why you'd want to replace it.
Safari: There's plenty of browsers out there that aren't half baked and probably better than Safari in my opinion
Maps: I have Google Maps installed on my device and always have the option to choose between Apple Maps or Google Maps.
 
1/5 for messages. go back and look at everything that was accomplished for biteSMS, implement it. best app ever developed for iOS.
 
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Chrjy said:
I don't get this! Any first party app is replaceable if you choose to....am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Try to replace phone app to make phone call (No, NOT Google Hangouts call. You CANNOT use those to call 911). Try to replace message app to send SMS. Try to replace App Store. Good luck with these three. Oh and Apple Health app on iPhone. Fitness. Apple Watch app. Settings that are literally cannot have replacement.
For others, browser, music app, books, video etc. Either there is no integration or limited system integration. And iOS will bugging you here and there asking to download and install those “default apps” cause certain features wont work without them.
 
Chrjy said:
I think I must still be missing something:
Phone: I guess you could argue that but it's just a phone app, not entirely sure why you'd want to replace it.
Safari: There's plenty of browsers out there that aren't half baked and probably better than Safari in my opinion
Maps: I have Google Maps installed on my device and always have the option to choose between Apple Maps or Google Maps.
Click to expand...
Didn’t read this while I pose my reply. My bad.
Phone app is there for “any first party app” argument.
Safari… try to find one app that offers as deep iOS integration as Safari. I bet there is none.
Maps. This is debatable but Calendar/Reminder cant really use Google Maps data for location-based alerts etc. Same for some third party apps that integrates a map in their app. (TripView for example)
 
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