How Apple and Google Ratings Are Reported in Appfigures

Appfigures collects ratings data directly from the app stores and takes snapshots throughout the day. The Ratings report compares each snapshot with the previous one to show what changed.


The New view highlights how the store's current star counts have changed since the previous snapshot. This provides a current view of ratings activity. Because Apple and Google calculate and report ratings differently, the changes shown for each store may look different.


Apple Ratings


Apple calculates an app's overall rating using a standard average, where every rating counts equally. This differs from Google Play's weighted average, which gives newer ratings more influence.


Apple also reports the number of 1-star through 5-star ratings an app has received. Appfigures compares those cumulative counts with the previous snapshot to calculate new ratings.


If a star count increases, the difference appears as a positive number. If a star count decreases, the difference appears as a negative number.


A negative Apple rating commonly means that a user updated an existing rating. For example, if a user changes a 2-star rating to a 4-star rating, Appfigures may report:


  • 2-star ratings: -1
  • 4-star ratings: +1


This does not mean the app received a new negative rating. It means the store now reports one fewer 2-star rating than it did in the previous snapshot.


Apple may also remove ratings it identifies as invalid or associated with bots. These removals are usually made across the App Store, although they can be specific to a country. They tend to happen in bulk, so they are more noticeable than the occasional one or two negative ratings caused by users updating their ratings.


Google Play Ratings


Google Play uses a weighted rating system that gives more importance to newer ratings and less importance to older ratings. This is designed to make an app's rating more representative of its current version and recent user experience.


Because Google applies this weighting to the reported star counts, changes in Appfigures do not always represent individual ratings being added or removed. They can reflect Google recalculating how much older and newer ratings contribute.


For example, if a recently released version receives more 4-star and 5-star ratings than the previous version, Appfigures may show:


  • A spike in new 4-star and 5-star ratings
  • Negative counts for lower-star ratings as older ratings are devalued


Those negative counts do not necessarily mean users deleted or changed that many ratings. They can be the result of Google's weighted calculation changing the star-count distribution reported by the store.


Google may also remove ratings it identifies as invalid or associated with bots. Those removals can appear as negative numbers and may happen in bulk or within a specific country.


Comparing Google Play Console Ratings with Appfigures


Google Play Console can treat an updated rating as another rating in its historical reporting. Appfigures instead reports the change between store snapshots.


For example, if a user changes a rating from 2 stars to 5 stars, Appfigures may show -1 for 2-star ratings and +1 for 5-star ratings. Google Play Console may retain both rating events in its historical data.


Google's weighting and these different reporting methods mean ratings in Appfigures may not match Google Play Console exactly. For the most useful comparison, use Appfigures to track how the ratings reported by the store change over time.

Updated on: 07/08/2026