Apple has made a significant change to its App Store policies, allowing users to share their opinions on built-in iPhone and iPad apps. This shift marks a major milestone in the pursuit of exceptional app user experience. Gone are the days when users were restricted from rating or reviewing Apple's stock apps like Mail, Music, News, Stocks, and Calculator.
The floodgates have opened, and customer feedback is pouring in for Apple's built-in apps. The Podcasts app currently sits at a 2.0 rating, highlighting areas where improvement is needed. Interestingly, this change may have been driven by competitive pressure, as third-party apps are transparent about their App Store ratings.
The ability to rate and review is now available for deletable and re-installable Apple apps through the App Store. This means that core system apps like Phone or Messages are exempt from reviews, as they don't have an App Store listing. As this feature is still relatively new, many of the stock apps have only received a few dozen ratings so far. However, it's likely that users with grievances after upgrading to iOS 15 are leaving their thoughts in the form of constructive feedback.
Apple Music has already garnered around 300 reviews, boasting an average rating of 3.7 stars. On the other hand, Podcasts is struggling to rise above its current 2-star mark due to user dissatisfaction with the changes introduced in the iOS 14.5 app redesign. The Translate app fares no better, with a mediocre 2.2-star rating and users expressing disappointment compared to competing apps like Google Translate.
Apple News also fails to impress, earning a paltry 2.3 stars, as users complain about the app's tendency to crash repeatedly when browsing articles. None of Apple's built-in apps have achieved the coveted 5-star perfect score – yet. Voice Memos stands out as Apple's highest-rated built-in app, currently sitting at 4 stars. Weather also performs relatively well, with a 3.7-star rating and users appreciating the enhancements brought by the iOS 15 update.
Interestingly, both the Weather and Calculator apps have seen users request similar features in their reviews. Meanwhile, Stocks has become a comedic goldmine, with reviewers poking fun at its limitations.