Summary
Imagine you’re settling in to watch a movie on your favorite streaming service when suddenly, a dreaded pop-up asks you to review the app. These pop-ups have been all too common on phones for a while, but these unwelcome interruptions are about to get a whole lot more common.
Those ubiquitous in-app rating and review prompts that are a nuisance on your phone are now making the big move over to your TV. Google is extending this feature to Google TV, meaning developers can now integrate a direct prompt right into their apps, allowing you to rate and review without ever picking up your phone or navigating to the Play Store. It’s more convenient, sure, but the timing never feels good.
This move isn’t entirely surprising when you think about it. Since the launch of Google TV, the company has tried to make the Play Store an invisible, background presence on TVs. There’s not a shortcut to the Play Store in the apps list, and it’s certainly not easy to go to an app’s Play Store page and leave a review or rating. By allowing you to review an app right as you’re using it, they’re hoping to get more engagement and better data without involving the Play Store at all.
However, this means you might be halfway through a movie or gaming session when a little box appears, politely asking you to rate the app. you may tap a few stars, maybe even type out a quick review using your remote or voice control, and get back to your content. There’s also an option to “Rate on Another Device,” which will send a notification to your phone. Or, you can just dismiss it, knowing it might just pop up again later.
So, prepare yourself. Your Android TV experience is about to become a little more like your phone experience, and that’s not always a good thing. App reviews are an important thing, don’t get me wrong, but these pop-up reminders always feel desperate and in your face. Hopefully, developers don’t overindulge in this particular feature.
