Unknown app version on google play = worst ratings : how do you deal with that?

Unity Engine
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Hi,

This is a continuation of this thread .

These unknown versions may come, as @AxPetre said, from “shady” stores like : play.mob.org, appmirror.net, noobdownload.com, apktrusted.com, apkpure.com etc… Which probably “stole” your apk and broked the versionning you made when you uploaded it first on Google Play. These Unknown versions appear on your google play console, when people come back on Google Play to rate your app.

→ 37% of my app’s ratings on Google play come from an “Unknown” version of my app.
→ this unknow version is, by far, the worst rated version of it all !

Now I’m asking myself a few questions :

  • Have you got the same problem with the ratings or is that just me ?
  • Do you have some kind of explanation ? (my own explanations : the people who use these shady stores are more severe and/or just tend to be more troll than the official store users + I’m thinking on that new one while writing : these stores are likely to make your game downloadable in every countries, even the ones you asked Google Play no to distribute to … so it could be people who do not speak the languages implemented in your game, for instance and who do not like it for that reason or another cultural one…)
  • How do you deal with that ?
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Hi. It’s me again.

I contacted Google Play about this a while ago and they finally answered and offered a likely explanation about why the “Unknown” version(s) are the worst rated: If a user uninstalls the app, and after that decides to rate it, then the version will appear as unknown because the system can’t figure out what version exactly the rating is referring to since the app is no longer on the user’s device. And the users who are most likley to uninstall AND rate the app are those who really disliked it, hence the low ratings.

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Wow, thanks, that makes sense …
My game is quite hard and people complains about it from time to time. So it could be rage quitters !

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