In the Airbnb app, open Trips, pick the stay, tap Leave a review, rate each category, add comments, and submit within 14 days.
Ready to post feedback from your phone? This guide shows the mobile path, where the buttons live, and the rules that decide timing, edits, and visibility. You’ll see exact taps, clear tips, and sample lines you can adapt right away.
Leave Your Airbnb Review In The App: Step-By-Step
This walkthrough matches the iOS and Android layout most travelers see today. Menus can shift with updates, yet the flow stays close to this order. Screens may vary by region and language.
Quick Map Of The Taps
Here’s the fast route from launch to submission. Keep it handy when you’re short on time.
| Screen | Tap | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Trips | Opens your past and upcoming reservations. |
| Trip Card | The finished stay | Loads the reservation details page. |
| Reservation | Leave a review | Starts the review flow for that stay. |
| Ratings | Overall stars + category stars | Rate overall and each category (accuracy, cleanliness, communication, location, check-in, value). |
| Comments | Write your public note | Add a short, honest summary others will see. |
| Private Note | Message to your host | Optional direct note only the host sees. |
| Photos (if shown) | Add images | Attach pictures that reflect the stay. |
| Final Screen | Submit | Sends your review; you can return to edit within limits. |
Detailed Steps On iPhone And Android
- Open the Airbnb app and sign in to the account used for the booking.
- Tap Trips. Under Past, select the completed reservation.
- Tap Leave a review. If you don’t see it, scroll; the prompt may sit under the host’s profile block.
- Choose your star rating. Five stars signals a great match. Two or three stars tells the host and guests where things fell short.
- Complete category ratings. Score accuracy, cleanliness, communication, location, check-in, and value. These help the host improve and help guests compare listings.
- Write your public note. Keep it short, specific, and fair. Check the templates below if you want a head start.
- Add a private note to your host if you want to share feedback that shouldn’t appear publicly.
- Attach photos only if they reflect your own stay. Avoid shots with people who didn’t consent.
- Tap Submit. You’ll see a confirmation banner in the app.
Before You Write: Notes That Save Time
Two minutes of prep leads to a clearer, kinder review. Grab these quick notes before you start typing.
- Your arrival time and check-in steps: Door code, lockbox, or host meetup. Note what worked and what didn’t.
- Cleanliness touchpoints: Bedding, bath, fridge, floors, trash bins, and any odors on entry.
- Accuracy check: Compare photos to what you saw, and list any gaps.
- Noise and sleep: Street sounds, upstairs footsteps, dogs next door, or construction nearby.
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi speed, dead zones, and whether video calls held up.
- Location fit: Transit access, walk score feel, parking clarity, and late-night safety feel.
- Host messages: How fast replies came in and whether instructions cleared confusion.
Timing Rules, Visibility, And Edits
The platform uses a double-blind window. Neither side can view the other’s feedback until both submit or the window closes after 14 days. The clock starts on checkout morning in the listing’s timezone. If a host cancels on or after check-in day, each side can still post feedback within that same window. For the official timing policy, see the Help Center’s page on how long you have to write a review.
Once the window closes, both reviews publish at the same time. If only one party submits, that review goes live when time runs out. You can edit your own text only under narrow conditions during the window. After both sides post, edits stop. Those limits exist to keep reviews impartial.
What You Can Edit And When
You can update your review if you posted first and the other party hasn’t posted yet. Category stars and overall rating update along with the text. Once both sides submit or the window ends, editing ends. Removal requests only apply when content breaks policy; see the Help Center’s reviews policy for what the platform allows.
What Airbnb Wants In A Review
Your note should reflect your own stay, stay on the topic, and avoid bias. Keep it factual and useful. No threats, doxxing, hate, or unrelated claims. The review system helps travelers choose wisely and helps hosts improve service.
Write A Balanced Note: A Simple Formula
This three-part shape keeps things fair and easy to read.
- Lead: One sentence that sums up the stay for a traveler like you.
- Two specific wins: Clean fridge, clear lockbox steps, friendly host, blackout curtains, great shower pressure.
- One clear fix: Wobbly chair, late key handoff, lukewarm water at peak time, thin walls near the elevator.
Simple Templates You Can Adapt
Use these tight lines as a starting point. Swap in concrete details from your stay.
- Five-star stay: “Spotless studio and friendly host. Check-in code worked first try. Walkable to cafés. Would book again.”
- Good with notes: “Bright flat and comfy bed. Street noise late at night; earplugs helped. Host replied fast.”
- Needs work: “Photos matched, yet the bathroom needed deeper cleaning. Host apologized and sent a cleaner. Handy location.”
- Not a fit: “Wi-Fi dropped during work hours. Host tried resets. If you need stable video calls, keep that in mind.”
Ratings Breakdown And How To Score Fairly
Match stars to what you experienced, not to citywide snags. If a storm knocked power out, that isn’t on the host. If the listing promised a desk and chair and you found a stool, dock accuracy. If a late-night key pickup took forty minutes, dock check-in. Keep the tone even.
How The Six Categories Work
These categories appear for most stays. Score each on its own merits.
- Accuracy: Did the space match the description and photos?
- Cleanliness: Was the space cleaned to a reasonable standard when you arrived?
- Communication: Did the host reply promptly with clear guidance?
- Location: Was the area convenient for your plans?
- Check-in: Were instructions clear and the process smooth?
- Value: Did the price match what you received?
Tips That Keep Your Note Helpful
- Lead with the headline detail a traveler cares about most.
- Mention two concrete strengths and one area to improve.
- Avoid personal info about neighbors or staff.
- Skip guesses about motives; stick to what happened.
- Keep it readable: short sentences, plain words.
Deadlines, Publishing, And Private Vs. Public Notes
Here’s a compact reference for timing and visibility. Pin it for quick checks.
| Item | Rule | Where It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 14 days from checkout morning | N/A |
| Who Sees What | Both publish together after both submit or when time runs out | Public listing profile |
| Private Note | Only host can read | Inbox, not public |
| Edits | Only if you posted first and the other party hasn’t posted | Replaces prior text |
| Photos | Only if they reflect your stay and meet content rules | Public if accepted |
When You Don’t See The Review Prompt
Two common reasons: the window closed, or you booked with a different account. Check your email for the checkout-day prompt. If you joined a trip as a guest of the primary booker, only the booking account can post. If a host canceled on or after check-in day, the system still allows feedback during the window.
Review Window Scenarios
- Host canceled before check-in day: No review flow appears.
- Host canceled on or after check-in day: Review flow appears for both sides.
- Guest leaves early: You can still post during the window.
Edge Cases: Group Trips, Split Payments, And Third-Party Bookings
If a friend booked the stay and added you as a traveler, the review belongs to the booking account. Ask the primary booker to post and include your notes. If a work account booked the stay for you, the review also sits with that account. When payments were split through the platform, the review button still appears on the booking account that holds the reservation.
What To Do If Something Breaks Policy
If a review includes slurs, threats, or unrelated claims, report it. The platform removes content that breaks its rules. Keep your request factual: cite the line and match it to the rule. Hosts can post a public response if they disagree with a fair review; keep that reply calm and specific.
Examples By Situation
These short samples show how to adjust tone without crossing into personal attacks.
- Late check-in help: “Arrived after midnight; host answered within minutes and the keypad worked. Hallway lights were dim, yet the unit felt safe.”
- Cleaning gap: “Kitchenware needed a rinse before use. Host said they’ll refresh the turnover list. Bed linens and bath towels were fresh.”
- Noise tradeoff: “Central spot near transit made getting around simple. Street noise ran till 11 pm on weekends. Earplugs solved it for us.”
- Work needs: “Wi-Fi handled HD calls most of the time. One outage during a storm. Table and chair worked for laptop work.”
- Parking clarity: “Garage space fit a midsize SUV. Signage at the entrance could use a larger font. Host sent a photo that helped.”
Sample Review You Can Tweak
Paste this into your public note and adjust details. It keeps tone fair and helpful.
“Clean, easy check-in, and friendly host. Small issue with hot water on day two; a plumber came the same afternoon. Walkable area near transit. Would stay again.”
Troubleshooting And Quick Fixes
- App won’t show the button: Pull to refresh on the reservation page, then relaunch the app.
- Time ran out: The system will not accept new reviews after the window. You can still message the host with feedback.
- Posted the wrong photo: Delete the image during the window when editing is open. If the other side posted, editing ends.
- Typos in your note: Try to edit before the other side submits. If both posted, edits are closed.
- No Trips tab: Tap the profile icon, then open your reservations from there. Some layouts tuck Trips into a profile menu.
Why Your Review Matters
Clear, honest detail helps travelers pick the right place and helps hosts fix gaps. Star ratings pair with short notes, so even a two-sentence line can guide a traveler and steer upgrades on the host side.