Boost Your App’s Ratings and User Engagement with In-App Reviews: A Complete Flutter Guide

Feature Graphic: User Engagement

Introduction

As a Flutter app developer, you understand the importance of user feedback and positive app ratings. In-app reviews offer an excellent way to gather valuable insights from your users while encouraging them to rate your app without leaving the interface. If you want to skyrocket your app’s ratings and enhance user engagement, you’ve come to the right place! This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process of configuring in-app reviews in your Flutter application for both Android and iOS platforms using the in_app_review package. Prepare to take your app’s success to new heights by leveraging the power of in-app reviews. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Create a new Flutter Project

Assuming you have Flutter installed, create a new Flutter project using the following command:

flutter create in_app_reviews_example

Step 2: Add in_app_review Dependency

Open your pubspec.yaml file and add the in_app_review dependency:

dependencies:
 flutter:
 sdk: flutter
 in_app_review: ^2.0.0

Save the file and run `flutter pub get` to download the new dependency.

Step 3: Implement the In-App Review Functionality

In your main.dart file, import the necessary packages:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:in_app_review/in_app_review.dart';

Replace the content of the MyApp class with the following code:

void main() {
  runApp(MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  final InAppReview _inAppReview = InAppReview.instance;

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(
          title: Text('In-App Reviews Example'),
        ),
        body: Center(
          child: ElevatedButton(
            onPressed: () {
              _openAppStoreReview();
            },
            child: Text('Show In-App Review'),
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }

  void _openAppStoreReview() async {
    if (await _inAppReview.isAvailable()) {
      // Open the store review page
      _inAppReview.openStoreListing();
    } else {
      // If the store review is not available, you can prompt the user to rate your app on the app store.
      // For example, you can launch the Play Store or App Store URL based on the platform.
      // Here, we will show a dialog for demonstration purposes.
      _showRatingDialog();
    }
  }

  void _showRatingDialog() {
    showDialog(
      context: context,
      barrierDismissible: false,
      builder: (context) {
        return AlertDialog(
          title: Text('Rate this App'),
          content: Text('Please leave a rating for our app!'),
          actions: [
            TextButton(
              onPressed: () {
                Navigator.of(context).pop();
              },
              child: Text('CANCEL'),
            ),
            TextButton(
              onPressed: () {
                Navigator.of(context).pop();
                // Implement logic to handle the user's rating.
                // You can use the response to perform further actions if needed.
                // For simplicity, we'll just print the user's decision.
                print('User clicked SUBMIT');
              },
              child: Text('SUBMIT'),
            ),
          ],
        );
      },
    );
  }
}

Step 4: Android Configuration

There is no additional configuration required for Android using the in_app_review package.

Step 5: iOS Configuration

For iOS, you need to add a usage description to your Info.plist file to explain why your app is requesting access to the app store. Open your Info.plist file and add the following key:

<key>NSAppTransportSecurity</key>
<dict>
    <key>NSAllowsArbitraryLoads</key>
    <true/>
</dict>
<key>NSInAppReviewUsageDescription</key>
<string>App would like to show you the app store review page to rate this app.</string>

Step 6: Run the App

Connect your Android or iOS device to your development environment and run the app:

flutter run

Conclusion:

Congratulations! You have successfully configured in-app reviews in your Flutter application for both Android and iOS platforms. By enabling in-app reviews, you empower your users to provide feedback and rate your app effortlessly, leading to higher ratings and increased user engagement. Make the most of this powerful tool to take your app’s success to the next level. Happy coding and may your app thrive with amazing reviews!