SKStore​Review​Controller, How to use it in a correct way?

Question

I have seen some answer but not satisfied with them and got some idea, but don't know how to use it properly, so that it will execute in proper way, though i think it should be used in App delegates didFinishLaunching, but i wanted to be sure before implement it in Live app without any hustle. SKStore​Review​Controller is only work for ios 10.3 what i read, could anybody explain with little bit of code in swift and objective c.

UPDATE:

Actually I'm confused about calling the method request​Review(), Where do i need to call this method? in rootViewController's viewDidLoad or in appDelegate's didFinishlaunching ?

Thanks.

Answer 1

For Swift,

import StoreKit

Add below code to request when you want to ask.

if #available(iOS 10.3, *) {
        SKStoreReviewController.requestReview()
    }

For Objective C,

1-) Added StoreKit framework from Link Binary With Library

2-) Added framework

#import <StoreKit/StoreKit.h>

3-) Added below code where you want to call App-Review pop-up. In this case, i added in viewDidLoad.

  - (void)viewDidLoad {
        [super viewDidLoad];
        [SKStoreReviewController requestReview];
    }

4-) You should be aware of below explain from Apple, When you test in debug mode

When you call this method while your app is still in development mode, a rating/review request view is always displayed so that you can test the user interface and experience. However, this method has no effect when you call it in an app that you distribute using TestFlight.

Answer 2

I think directly calling the below is not an good idea

SKStoreReviewController.requestReview()

It can be done like whenever user opens your app the multiple of 10(10,20,30,...100) then you can show for review

so first of all you need to create a file that will be responsible for everything like saving your application open count in user defaults , retrieving application open count, and showing requestReview() kindly have a look at the following code snippet

import Foundation
import StoreKit
class  SpsRateManager {
    
    
    private static let instance = SpsRateManager()
    
    var shareinstance: SpsRateManager{
        return .instance
    }
    static func incrementAppOpenedCount() { // called from appdelegate didfinishLaunchingWithOptions:
        let userdefault = UserDefaults.standard
        
        
        let savedvalue = userdefault.integer(forKey: Configuration.APPLICATIONOPENCOUNTSTATUS)
        if savedvalue == 0 {
            print("Not saved ")
            userdefault.set(1, forKey: Configuration.APPLICATIONOPENCOUNTSTATUS)
        }
        else{
            userdefault.set(savedvalue+1, forKey: Configuration.APPLICATIONOPENCOUNTSTATUS)
            
        }
        
    }
    
    static func checkAppopencountandProvideReview(){
        let userdefault = UserDefaults.standard
        
        
        let appopencountvalue  = userdefault.integer(forKey: Configuration.APPLICATIONOPENCOUNTSTATUS)
        if appopencountvalue % 10 == 0 {
            print("its been 10 times so ask for review ")
            SpsRateManager().requestReview()
        }
        else{
            print("not enough open count dont show ")
        }
        
    }
    
    
    
    
    fileprivate func requestReview() {
        if #available(iOS 10.3, *) {
            SKStoreReviewController.requestReview()
        } else {
            // Fallback on earlier versions
            // Try any other 3rd party or manual method here.
        }
    }
    
}

Answer 3

Here's a utility function I am developing for my own use case that might help a lot of other people. (Feel free to roast and improve/correct my code :D). I am working on a speech practice app and I want to ask for a rating after the user has done a few recordings. I will add the main function and then other helper functions used below it. The brief logic is, you can request a review 3 times a year, so if 1 year has passed, I reset the ask count to 0. Also, the review request won't be presented for each ask. So I have an upper limit of 30 asks before I don't allow the app to attempt review requests anymore. This won't be taken into consideration if the app version has changed, as you can again ask for a review for the new app version.

/// Requests review from user based on certain conditions.
/// 1. Should have recorderd at least 3 recordings (if you want to force attept a review ask don't pass any parameter)
/// 2. Has not already asked for a review today
/// 3. A probabitly of 50% if will ask today
/// 4. If review has not been asked more than 30 times in the same year for the current version
/// - Parameter numberOfRecordings: If the number of recordings is greater than 3 then a review will be asked.
func askForReview(numberOfRecordings: Int = 5) {
    let defaults = UserDefaults.standard
    let lastAskedReviewAt = defaults.double(forKey: lastAskedReviewAtKey)
    let dateStringForLastReviewAsk = getDateString(from: lastAskedReviewAt)
    let dateForLastReviewAsk = getDate(from: dateStringForLastReviewAsk) ?? Date(timeIntervalSince1970: 0)
    let askedReviewToday = Calendar.current.isDateInToday(dateForLastReviewAsk)
    var appReviewRequestsCount = defaults.integer(forKey: appReviewRequestsCountKey)
    
    if Date().localDate().years(from: dateForLastReviewAsk) >= 1 {
        defaults.setValue(0, forKey: appReviewRequestsCountKey)
        appReviewRequestsCount = 0
    }
    
    var isAskingReviewForSameVersion = false
    
    if let currentlyInstalledVersion = getInstalledVersionNumber(), let lastReviewAskedForVersion = defaults.string(forKey: lastReviewAskedForVersionKey) {
        if currentlyInstalledVersion == lastReviewAskedForVersion {
            isAskingReviewForSameVersion = true
        } else {
            appReviewRequestsCount = 0
            defaults.setValue(0, forKey: appReviewRequestsCountKey)
        }
    }
    
    let askingReviewTooManyTimes = appReviewRequestsCount >= 30 && isAskingReviewForSameVersion
    
    let totalRecordingsTillDateCount = defaults.integer(forKey: totalRecordingsTillDateCountKey)
    let localNumberOfRecordings = max(numberOfRecordings, totalRecordingsTillDateCount)
    
    if localNumberOfRecordings > 3 && Bool.random() && !askedReviewToday && !askingReviewTooManyTimes {
        SKStoreReviewController.requestReview()
        defaults.setValue(Date().timeIntervalSince1970, forKey: lastAskedReviewAtKey)
        if let versionNumber = getInstalledVersionNumber() {
            defaults.setValue(versionNumber, forKey: lastReviewAskedForVersionKey)
        }
        defaults.setValue(appReviewRequestsCount + 1, forKey: appReviewRequestsCountKey)
    }
}

Dictionary Keys:

let lastAskedReviewAtKey = "LastAskedReviewAt"
let appReviewRequestsCountKey = "AppReviewRequestsCount"
let lastReviewAskedForVersionKey = "AskedReviewForVersion"
let appVersionNumberKey = "CFBundleShortVersionString"

Helper Functions:

/// Get a string representation in current local time for a timestamp
/// - Parameter timestamp: Timestamp to be converted to date string
/// - Returns: A date string from passed timestamp in dd MMM yyy format
func getDateString(from timestamp: Double) -> String {
    let dateFormatter = getDateFormatter()
    let date = Date(timeIntervalSince1970: timestamp)
    let dateString = dateFormatter.string(from: date)
    return dateString
}

/// Get a date from a string of date format dd MMM yyyy.
/// - Parameter dateString: Date string formated as dd MMM yyyy
/// - Returns: A date object by parsing date in dd MMM yyy format
func getDate(from dateString: String) -> Date? {
    //        print("Date String: ", dateString)
    let dateFormatter = getDateFormatter()
    return dateFormatter.date(from: dateString) ?? nil
}


//Ref: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27182023/getting-the-difference-between-two-dates-months-days-hours-minutes-seconds-in
extension Date {
    /// Returns the amount of years from another date
    func years(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.year], from: date, to: self).year ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of months from another date
    func months(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.month], from: date, to: self).month ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of weeks from another date
    func weeks(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.weekOfMonth], from: date, to: self).weekOfMonth ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of days from another date
    func days(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.day], from: date, to: self).day ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of hours from another date
    func hours(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.hour], from: date, to: self).hour ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of minutes from another date
    func minutes(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.minute], from: date, to: self).minute ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the amount of seconds from another date
    func seconds(from date: Date) -> Int {
        return Calendar.current.dateComponents([.second], from: date, to: self).second ?? 0
    }
    /// Returns the a custom time interval description from another date
    func offset(from date: Date) -> String {
        if years(from: date)   > 0 { return "\(years(from: date))y"   }
        if months(from: date)  > 0 { return "\(months(from: date))M"  }
        if weeks(from: date)   > 0 { return "\(weeks(from: date))w"   }
        if days(from: date)    > 0 { return "\(days(from: date))d"    }
        if hours(from: date)   > 0 { return "\(hours(from: date))h"   }
        if minutes(from: date) > 0 { return "\(minutes(from: date))m" }
        if seconds(from: date) > 0 { return "\(seconds(from: date))s" }
        return ""
    }
}

//Ref: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/28404154/swift-get-local-date-and-time
extension Date {
    func localDate() -> Date {
        let nowUTC = Date()
        let timeZoneOffset = Double(TimeZone.current.secondsFromGMT(for: nowUTC))
        guard let localDate = Calendar.current.date(byAdding: .second, value: Int(timeZoneOffset), to: nowUTC) else {return Date()}

        return localDate
    }
}

func getInstalledVersionNumber() -> String? {
    guard let infoDictionary = Bundle.main.infoDictionary, let currentVersionNumber = infoDictionary[appVersionNumberKey] as? String else { return nil}
    return currentVersionNumber
}

Answer 4

Adding onto korat's great answer above...

If your supporting a legacy Objective-C app and you want to call DisplayReviewController after a few app opens then do the following:

In your class AppDelegate.m add this:

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
  int count = [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] integerForKey:@"LaunchCount"];
  if(count < 0) count = 0;
  [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setInteger:count+1 forKey:@"LaunchCount"];
}

//The application was in background and become active
- (void)applicationWillEnterForeground:(UIApplication *)application {
  int count = [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] integerForKey:@"LaunchCount"];
  if(count < 0) count = 0;
  [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setInteger:count+1 forKey:@"LaunchCount"];
}

and in the controller you want to call the function:

- (void)applicationDidBecomeActive {

  if ([[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] integerForKey:@"LaunchCount"] == 5) {
     [self DisplayReviewController];
  }
}

Answer 5

SKStoreReviewController is available in iOS 10.3 and later.

According to APPLE's Documents:

You can ask users to rate or review your app while they're using it, without sending them to the App Store.You determine the points in the user experience at which it makes sense to call the API and the system takes care of the rest.

Inorder to display Rate/Review inside the app, you have to add StoreKitframework.

Please find the Sample code for both language:

Objective C:

#import <StoreKit/StoreKit.h>

- (void)DisplayReviewController {
    if([SKStoreReviewController class]){
       [SKStoreReviewController requestReview] ;
    }
}

since xCode 9 you can do:

#import <StoreKit/StoreKit.h>

- (void)DisplayReviewController {
    if (@available(iOS 10.3, *)) {
        [SKStoreReviewController requestReview];
    }
}

Swift:

import StoreKit

func DisplayReviewController {
    if #available( iOS 10.3,*){
        SKStoreReviewController.requestReview()
    }
}

Update: Ask for a rating only after the user has demonstrated engagement with your app

Answer 6

I think you may implement a method to count when they run the app and store it in UserDefaults, then call requestReview() if the count number is 5 or 10 or something like that (it depends on you), by this way you have more chance of getting a good review.