Google Enables In-App Ratings and Reviews for TV Apps
For years, apps and services have relied on user feedback to evolve and improve. On mobile, Android — one of the world’s most widely used operating systems — has long allowed users to rate and review apps directly within them through pop-up prompts.
Now, at its I/O 2025 developer conference, Google announced that this feature is making its way to the living room. The company is expanding its In-App Ratings and Reviews API to Google TV , giving developers the ability to ask users for feedback without leaving the app.
As Google explained in a related blog post:
“Ratings and reviews are crucial for developers, offering both numerical insights and detailed user feedback. With this update, users can now view average ratings, read reviews, and submit their own directly from an app’s store page on Google TV.”
When it comes to interaction, the process is designed to be user-friendly. Viewers can select a rating using the directional pad on their remote or receive a notification on their phone to complete the review there. Written reviews can also be submitted via voice input using Gboard on the TV, or typed more comfortably from a mobile device.
This move brings a familiar mobile experience to the big screen — and could help developers better understand how their apps are being used in a growing TV ecosystem.
Submitting reviews isn’t limited to just TV apps — users can also leave feedback for other device types using their phones. When rating or reviewing an app, you can select the specific device type (like phone, tablet, or wearable) to ensure your review goes to the right place. And if you’re not in the mood to write a review at that moment, there’s always the “Not Now” option to skip the prompt.
It’s worth noting that this feature is optional for developers, so not all apps will start asking for reviews immediately. Google advises developers to carefully choose when and how to show these prompts, suggesting they should appear only during optimal moments — like after completing a season of a show or watching a movie — and avoid interrupting the user experience.
The company also emphasized that prompts should appear only when the interface is idle, ensuring they don’t disrupt content playback. At the same time, developers are encouraged to avoid showing them during negative experiences, such as buffering or playback errors.
In related news, Google also unveiled the Android 16 update for TVs , now available in beta for developers. The new version includes enhancements to media playback performance, improved HDMI-CEC reliability, and better support for 64-bit kernels. It also introduces compatibility with the open-source Eclipsa Audio spatial audio format and the MediaQualityManager API , giving developers more control over features like profile picture selection.