How to see your Google reviews (and whether they can be private)

Short answer: you can see every Google review through Google Maps or Search, and no, you can’t make one private or anonymous. Google says all reviews are public and you’re unable to add an anonymous one. The rest of this page is the exact steps, plus what to do when a review seems to be missing.

Seeing the reviews on your Business Profile

First thing, and it trips people up: you have to be signed in to the Google Account associated with your profile. Not your personal one if that’s different, the one that manages the business. Otherwise you won’t see the profile as its owner.

Once you’re signed in, there are three ways in. You can search “my business” on Google Search, or search your business name and city. On Google Maps, search your business name and city. Or in the Google Maps app, tap Business at the bottom right.

Got more than one business? Tap the down arrow at the top and select the one you want. Easy to forget, and then you’re looking at the wrong shop’s reviews.

To read and reply:

1. Go to your Business Profile.
2. Select Read reviews.
3. Next to a review, select Reply.

You must verify your business before you can reply. That’s the bit that catches people out, so sort it first.

A few things to know about replies. They’re checked against Google’s policies, usually within 10 minutes but sometimes up to 30 days. Your reply shows as the business, not your personal name. The reviewer is notified, and they can still change their review afterwards. If you’d like help with wording, there’s more in how to reply to Google reviews, and the review reply writer can give you a starting point.

Then there’s the score. Your review score is the average of all ratings published on Google, on a 1 to 5 star scale. After a new review it may take up to two weeks for the score to update, so don’t panic if the number looks stuck. It’s just slow.

Seeing reviews you have written

Now the other reader: someone who left a review and wants to find it again. Maybe you’ve forgotten which place it was, or you want to check what you actually said.

On a computer:

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Open the Menu (top left).
3. Select Your contributions.
4. Select Reviews.

On an Android phone:

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap Contribute.
3. Tap View your profile.
4. Scroll and tap See all reviews.

Want to change or remove one? Next to the review, select More, then Edit review or Delete review. One detail worth knowing: if you edit, the date of the last edit shows as the post date. So an old review can look new after a small tweak. The full walkthrough is in editing or deleting a Google review you wrote.

You also need a Google Account to leave a review in the first place. A non-Gmail address works, so there’s no need to set up a Gmail account just for this.

Can Google reviews be private or anonymous?

No. Google is blunt about it: “All reviews are public and anyone can find what you add. You’re unable to add an anonymous review.”

That’s the whole answer, but there’s a bit more around the edges. Other people can also see the name on your About me page, other photos and videos you added to Google Maps with their location info, and the reviews you wrote on Google Maps. So a review isn’t a lone thing floating about. It sits alongside the rest of what you’ve contributed.

And here’s the part people hope has a loophole. A review shows in Google Maps until you take it down. That means deleting it is the only way to stop it being public. Google doesn’t describe any setting between public and deleted.

If you’re a business owner reading this because you’ve had a review you don’t like, the same logic applies from your side. You can’t hide it. You can reply to it, and if it’s fake or breaks Google’s rules, there’s a route for that in removing a fake Google review.

If you’re a customer who’s nervous about posting, that’s worth knowing before you hit publish. Treat it as public from the first second, because it is.

Why a review might not be showing

Reviews don’t always appear straight away. They’re checked against policy, which can take a few days. So if a customer says they’ve left one and you can’t see it, give it a little time before assuming something’s wrong.

Sometimes it never turns up, though. Most removals are for policy violations like spam or inappropriate content, and Google doesn’t reinstate reviews removed for policy violations, so don’t expect one of those to come back.

Before worrying, check three things: are you signed in to the right account, have you chosen the right business if you have several, and has it been more than a few days? If it’s the score that hasn’t moved, remember the two-week lag mentioned earlier. That’s a different thing from a review being missing.

For a fuller run through the causes, see why Google reviews might not be showing.

Sharing a review you like

Got a lovely review and want to show it off? You can share a link to it straight from Google Maps.

1. Open Google Maps and search your business name and city.
2. Select Reviews.
3. Next to the review, select More.
4. Select Share review.
5. Select Send a link, then COPY LINK.

Paste that link wherever you like. If you’d rather turn the words into an image for your site or socials, the testimonial card maker is there for that. And if you want to make it easy for customers to leave a review in the first place, finding your Google review link is the place to start.

That’s the lot. Seeing reviews is simple once you know where the buttons are, and the privacy answer is a flat no.

Questions people ask

Can I leave a Google review anonymously?

No. Google says all reviews are public, anyone can find what you add, and you're unable to add an anonymous review. People can also see the name on your About me page and the other reviews, photos and videos you've added to Google Maps. If you don't want a review to be public, the only option is to delete it.

Why can't I see my Business Profile when I search for it?

To find your profile as its owner, you need to be signed in to the Google Account associated with it. Then search "my business" or your business name and city on Google Search, or tap Business at the bottom right of the Google Maps app. If you manage several businesses, use the down arrow at the top to switch.

Why hasn't my review score changed after a new review?

Google says that after someone leaves a new review, it may take up to two weeks for the review score to update. The score is the average of all ratings published on Google for that business, on a 1 to 5 star scale. New reviews are also checked against policy first, which can take a few days.

Can a customer make their review private later?

Not as such. Google says a review shows in Google Maps until the person who wrote it takes it down. They can edit it, which changes the date shown to the date of the edit, or delete it. There's no setting Google describes for keeping a review but hiding it from others.