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Apple lets App Store developers respond to reviews

Both iOS and the Mac will give creators a chance to address your feedback.

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Android app developers have had the option of responding to Google Play reviews for a while, but the same hasn't been true for Apple products. If you want to grouse about a bug or shoddy design, you usually have to email the developer directly. That's frustrating -- but thankfully, not for much longer. Documentation for the newly released iOS 10.3 developer beta has revealed that creators will soon have the ability to respond to reviews on both the iOS and Mac App Stores. If devs want to promise a fix or correct mistaken claims, they can do it in a public forum.

Moreover, you won't have to put up with apps that kick you over to the App Store when you offer to rate them. The iOS 10.3 beta includes a software kit that lets you rate an app while staying in the app. This won't be much solace if you hate "rate our app" requests in the first place, but it should minimize disruptions and prevent repeated nagging. It could also improve the overall quality of App Store ratings, since there's less temptation to skip the ratings requests.

There's no known release window for iOS 10.3, although Apple tends to wrap up beta tests for minor updates within a month or two of the first builds going online.