A Hidden Feature in App Store Connect
The App Store Connect iOS app has a feature that most developers never discover: push notifications for new user reviews. It is turned off by default, and you have to enable it separately for each app, which is probably why so few people know about it.
How to Enable It
Open the App Store Connect app on your iPhone, then navigate to:
Tap your profile icon or go to Settings
Select Notifications
You will see a list of all your apps
For each app, toggle on Customer Reviews
That is it. From now on, you will get a push notification whenever someone leaves a new review for that app.
Why This Matters for Indie Developers
Responding to App Store reviews quickly has a tangible impact. When a user leaves a negative review about a bug, a fast reply acknowledging the issue (or pointing them to a fix) can lead them to update their rating. Positive reviews also deserve acknowledgment – it encourages users to keep providing feedback.
Without notifications, most developers only check reviews when they remember to, which might be days or weeks later. By then, the user has moved on, and your response feels like an afterthought.
A Word of Caution
If you have multiple apps with high review volume, enabling this for all of them could become noisy. Start with your most important apps and adjust based on how many notifications you actually receive. For most indie developers with a handful of apps, the volume is perfectly manageable and the benefits are immediate.