14 DAY TRIAL // In the App Store’s five-year existence, we’ve seen pretty much all there is to see in terms of rejected apps and developers, misuse of Apple’s guidelines, naughty screenshots and app icons, overpriced apps, sneaky in-app purchases, hidden gems and Easter eggs, and everything in between.
Apple tries to keep a tight grip on the activity surrounding its precious digital distribution venue, and that includes not just the applications store, but also the parts of the store where it hosts and sells books, music, and videos.
On-demand reviews
But there’s one practice that any developer can engage in and Apple can’t do much about it. At least not until it starts an investigation, which consumes time and resources and rarely yields conclusive results. I’m talking about paid reviews.
Not to say this particular example right here is almost certainly one such case. But it’s something I’ve come across frequently in the App Store, and I’d like to highlight it as a potential indicator that your purchase might or might not be ill-advised.
Pictured above are a few random reviews posted by iOS customers as feedback to Leandro Luizari’s FingerKey app. It’s a tool that lets you unlock your Mac using your iPhone’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor. For some, it doesn’t work because of a bug. For others, the experience is great. Some, however, seem to be hitting all the right spots when it comes to their feedback. Almost as if trying to convince others to download the $1.99 (€1.60) app.
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But that’s not necessarily far-fetched. The convincing part, I mean. Often are the times I find myself ranting about an app on some obscure forum simply because I found the experience delightful and wanted to share it with others.
The problem here is that the discrepancy between the reviews is high. Which asks for the question in the headline to be answered.
I’d like to use this article as basis to answer this question for others who may be asking themselves the same thing. Are iOS developers known to be paying off users for positive reviews, and if you happen to know such a story, would it be too much trouble for you to share it with us?
Let’s not forget that some developers also suggest 5-star reviews using in-app prompts. Not that they can deny you functionality in the app if you refuse to comply, but some of these prompts really use convincing wording. How does everyone feel about this? Let those fingers run loose!
