Apart from smartphones, the Android operating system also powers your tablet, smartwatch, and even television. The most common and official place to download apps on these devices is the Google Play Store. You can find a specific version of the app for different devices based on the form factor. However, this diversity also challenges the usefulness of app ratings, as the Play Store combines all ratings for all form factors.
Well, that will change soon as Google has finally decided to make Play Store ratings relevant and useful for the device you are using. As spotted by Esper.io's Mishaal Rahman, Google confirmed that application ratings will now be displayed based on device type. This was announced via a message to developers on the Play Store console.
The Play Store rating average remains the same, but the review count differs from device to device
This feature has been under development since it was first spoken about in August 2021. It was initially meant to arrive earlier this year, but it went live a few days ago. As noted by the folks at Android Police, if you head to the Play Store and check any app, you will see in the Ratings And Reviews section that the ratings are “from people who use the same type of device as you use.”
Note that this doesn't mean you will have a unique rating average based on the device you are using, but the number of reviews counted will differ from device to device. This isn't a groundbreaking change, but it is useful as it will impact how users download apps on their devices. Making sure that the Play Store ratings are accurate and based on the devices you're using will allow you to decide whether to download the app.
