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

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
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
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.

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
18 months ago
Hopefully this also means that Apple will sometimes update their apps independently from iOS updates.

For example:
[LIST=1]
* Give us an option to display favicons in Bookmarks in Safari app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
* Or make Recents searchable in Phone app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
* Or make Hidden Photos in Photos app Face ID-protectable without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
* Or an option to display full URL in Safari app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
* Or an option to turn off Smart Addresses in Mail app without having to wait for iOS 15.9 or iOS 16
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
18 months ago

Some people use reviews as constructive criticisms.
Their feedback site is already like a black hole, i doubt any constructive review of their Apps in their AppStore will get any attention.

This was solely done as a show for anti-competition authorities.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
18 months ago
lol rating non-replaceable Apps makes no sense!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
18 months ago

Most reviews are definitely not constructive.
Like Comments from MR users?? :p
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyanite Avatar
18 months ago

Some people use reviews as constructive criticisms.
Most reviews are definitely not constructive.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
840quadra Avatar
18 months ago
Posted my 1 star review on Messages for Apple not supporting RCS. Hopefully more follow and they include it in the next version of iOS. ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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