Google Play lets top devs reply to user reviews, smack down trolls
Are you an Android developer with an app in Google Play? Do you have a Top Developer badge? Well rejoice, because starting right now Google will let select developers reply to user reviews right from the safety, warmth and comfort of the Android Developer Console -- perfect for when you need to put the smackdown on those undeserving trolls give feedback to your beloved customers or share information about a new feature. Users are then notified by email about replies to a review and have the option to contact the developer directly. "Google continues to make investments in Google Play and we are excited to engage with our users through this new feature" said Autumn Brown, Android Account Director at EA. Google plans to extend the functionality to additional developers in the future. Isn't dialogue wonderful? Screenshot and PR after the break.
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Replying to User Reviews on Google Play
Posted by Ellie Powers, Product Manager on the Google Play team
User reviews on Google Play are great for helping people discover quality apps and give feedback to developers and other potential app users. But what about when developers want to give feedback to their users? Sometimes a user just needs a helping hand, or perhaps a new feature has been added and the developer wants to share the good news.
That's why we're adding the ability for Google Play developers to respond to reviews from the Google Play Android Developer Console. Developers can gather additional information, provide guidance, and - perhaps most importantly - let users know when their feature requests have been implemented.
Responses will be posted publicly inside app listings, alongside existing reviews. We'll also notify the user who wrote the review via email that the developer has responded. Users can then contact the developer directly if additional followup is needed or update their review.
We're releasing this feature today to those with a Top Developer badge. And based on feedback from users and developers, we will offer it to additional Google Play developers in the future.
Conversations are meant to be two-sided, and facilitating discussion between developers and users will ultimately yield better apps, to the benefit of everyone.
