A simple step-by-step guide for leaving a Google review on any device — plus how businesses can make the process take under 60 seconds for every customer.
By Team Saint Aura Last updated
Open Google Maps or search the business name on Google. You can do this from a phone browser, the Google Maps app, or a desktop browser.
Tap or click on the business name to open its full listing. You'll see photos, the star rating, opening hours, and a Reviews section.
Scroll down to the Reviews section and tap 'Write a review'. On mobile, you may need to scroll past the photo strip. If you're not signed into your Google account, you'll be asked to sign in first.
Tap the number of stars you want to give. 5 stars means excellent, 1 star means very poor. You don't have to write text — a star rating alone counts as a review — but a few words about your experience are much more helpful.
Describe what you came for, who helped you, and what stood out. Specific details like 'the dosa was crispy and the service was warm' are far more useful to other customers than 'nice place'. Even 1–2 sentences is enough.
Your review will appear on the business's Google Maps listing immediately or within a few hours. You can edit or delete it any time from your Google account.
A common reason customers don't leave reviews is the effort required to find the correct business profile. A Google review QR code solves this by linking customers directly to the review submission page.
When a customer scans the QR code on a receipt, table tent, or business card with their phone, it opens the Google Maps review screen for your business instantly. This removes the search step and reduces friction, increasing the likelihood of receiving a review. Saint Aura provides businesses with a custom QR code as part of its review collection platform.
You don't have to write a lot. 1–3 sentences is enough. Here is what makes a review genuinely useful:
The main obstacles for customers leaving a review are finding the business's Google Business Profile and deciding what to write. Saint Aura is designed to solve both problems.
Saint Aura solves this with a guided QR review flow:
Print it on receipts, table tents, or counter cards. Scanning opens the review flow directly in the browser — no app, no login.
What they came for, who helped them, what stood out. Takes 30–60 seconds.
Based on their answers. English, Hindi, Tamil, or 25+ other languages — automatically.
One tap sends them to the Google review screen with the text ready to submit.
Set up your Google review QR code →
Yes. You need to be signed into a Google account (Gmail works). Reviews from anonymous users are not allowed on Google Maps. The account does not need to be new — any existing Google account can leave reviews.
Yes. Open the Google Maps app or search the business in your phone's browser. Tap the business name, scroll to Reviews, and tap 'Write a review'. The process is nearly identical on Android and iPhone.
No. A star rating alone is valid. But reviews with written text get shown more prominently and are more helpful to both other customers and the business's search ranking.
Most reviews appear within a few minutes to a few hours. Occasionally Google's spam detection holds a review from a very new account for longer. Reviews from established accounts usually post instantly.
Yes. Open Google Maps, go to your profile icon, tap 'Your contributions', then 'Reviews'. Find the review, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Edit or Delete.
Google's automated spam filter occasionally removes reviews that look suspicious — especially from very new accounts or reviews posted from the business's own IP address. If your review disappeared, it was likely flagged automatically.
The name on your review is your Google account name. To change it, go to myaccount.google.com, navigate to 'Personal info,' and edit your name. This change will apply across all Google services linked to that account, including Gmail.
A business can contact you to resolve an issue and may ask if you would be willing to update your review afterward. However, they cannot demand you remove it. Google's policy prohibits businesses from harassing users to remove negative reviews. You have full control to edit or delete your review at any time via your 'Contributions' page in Google Maps.
Your 1-star review will be posted publicly on the business's Google Business Profile. As long as your review is based on a genuine experience and does not violate Google's content policies (like using hate speech or posting fake content), it is permitted. Factual negative reviews provide valuable feedback for the business and other customers.
To recognize a specific employee, mention their name and what they did in the text of your review. For example, 'Sarah at the front desk was incredibly helpful and patient.' This is the best way to give credit to individual employees, and businesses use this feedback for recognition.
You can manage all the reviews you've written from your Google account. The process is similar on desktop and mobile.
Go to google.com/maps in your browser or open the Google Maps app. Make sure you are signed into the Google account you used to write the reviews.
Click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner on desktop and select "Your contributions." On the mobile app, tap your profile picture in the top-right corner and select "Your profile."
You will see a list of all the reviews you have ever left. Each entry shows the business name, your star rating, and the text of your review.
Scroll to find the specific review you want to change. Next to each review, you will see a three-dot menu icon.
Click or tap the three-dot menu. You will see options to "Edit review" or "Delete review." Editing allows you to change the star rating and text. Deleting removes it from Google Maps permanently.
Google does not permit anonymous reviews. Every review is tied to a Google account, and the name and profile picture from that account are displayed publicly alongside the review. This policy is in place to build trust and reduce spam.
While you cannot be truly anonymous, you can control the name that appears on your reviews. The name displayed is the one associated with your Google account. If you do not want your full legal name to appear, you can change your Google account name.
To do this, go to your Google account settings, find the "Personal info" section, and edit your name. Be aware that this will change your name across all Google services, including Gmail and Google Drive. Some users create a separate Google account with a preferred nickname specifically for activities like leaving reviews.
Saint Aura generates a Google review QR code for your business, guides customers with 3 quick prompts, and drafts the review for them — in their language. They just post it.
