Google Expands In-App Rating and Review Features to Google TV Apps
In recent years, user feedback has become a cornerstone for app and service enhancement. Android, as one of the leading operating systems, has effectively utilized this through Google Play, allowing users to submit ratings and reviews directly via pop-ups within mobile applications.
At the I/O 2025 developer conference, Google announced an exciting update: this functionality is being extended to Google TV apps. With the introduction of the In-App Rating and Reviews API for TV, developers will now have the capability to solicit user feedback directly from their applications on the Google TV platform.
“Ratings and reviews are essential for developers, offering quantitative and qualitative feedback on user experiences, ”Google stated in a blog post.“Users can now see rating averages, browse reviews, and leave their own review directly from an app’s store listing on Google TV.”
Users can conveniently select a rating using their remote’s D-pad or receive a notification on their mobile device, enabling them to complete their review. Additionally, posting a written review is made easy with Gboard’s on-screen voice input or by typing from a smartphone.
When it comes to submitting reviews for different device types, users can simply select the appropriate device chip while posting their ratings. For those who prefer not to provide feedback at a given moment, Google includes a “Not now”button to provide flexibility.
It’s important to note that this new feature is optional for developers, so users may not see prompts for reviews across all applications immediately. Google emphasized the need for developers to “carefully consider the best time to request a review prompt”and to find the “optimal moments within your app”to solicit user feedback effectively.
Review prompts should ideally be displayed when the user interface is idle, minimizing any potential disruption during content consumption. Developers are encouraged to leverage successful user journeys, such as after completing a season of a TV series or finishing a movie, while steering clear of prompting users during frustrating experiences like playback errors or buffering delays.
In a related announcement, Google also revealed the Android 16 update for TVs during the conference, with its latest beta version now available for developers. This update focuses on enhancing media playback speed, improving HDMI-CEC reliability, and optimizing performance for 64-bit kernels. Furthermore, it introduces support for the open-source spatial audio format Eclipsa Audio and includes the MediaQualityManager API, giving developers greater control over profile picture selection.
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