--- title: "Can't leave a Google review" url: https://reviewsnot.com/cant-leave-a-google-review/ summary: "You want to review a business and Google will not let you. Usually the business cannot receive reviews, or your app needs updating." published: 2026-10-02 updated: 2026-10-02 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Can't leave a Google review You want to review a business and Google will not let you. Usually the business cannot receive reviews, or your app needs updating. ## Quick answer If there is no way to leave a review at all, the usual reason is the business rather than you: Google says reviews are available only in certain countries or regions and for certain business categories, and that it sometimes turns user content off for a profile temporarily. ## Check this first - [ ] Check you are signed in to a Google account. - [ ] Update Google Maps to the latest version. - [ ] Search the business signed out and check the profile exists and shows a reviews section at all. ## Causes ### Your phone or app is out of date - Status: Fixable - You can sort this yourself. - Google says customers who use older phones or software might have trouble when they try to leave reviews. - Fix: Update Google Maps to the latest version and try again. - Source: [About missing or delayed reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/10313341?hl=en-GB) ### Google has temporarily turned off user content for that profile - Status: Platform’s call - Only the platform can change it. Report or appeal. - Google says it might temporarily disable user-created content, including reviews, for certain Business Profiles or business categories to protect business owners. - Fix: Wait. It is a temporary state that only Google can lift. - Source: [About missing or delayed reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/10313341?hl=en-GB) ### The profile is suspended - Status: Platform’s call - Only the platform can change it. Report or appeal. - Google says that while a profile is suspended the public cannot go to it. - Fix: Nothing to do from your side. There is no public profile to review until the owner gets it reinstated. - Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145?hl=en-GB) ### That business cannot receive reviews - Status: Can’t be fixed - The platform’s rules say no. We say so plainly. - Google says reviews are available only in certain countries or regions and for certain business categories. - Fix: Nothing to do. No one can review that business while it sits in that category or region. - Source: [Manage customer reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en-GB) ### It is a school for ages 6 to 18 - Status: Can’t be fixed - The platform’s rules say no. We say so plainly. - Google says reviews and ratings are removed and disabled for Business Profiles primarily categorised as educational institutions for students aged 6 to 18. - Fix: Nothing to do. Reviews are permanently off for those profiles. - Source: [About missing or delayed reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/10313341?hl=en-GB) Checked 2026-10-02. You open a business on Google, look for the button to write a review, and it is not there — or it is there and tapping it does nothing. If there is no way to review the place at all, the reason is usually the business rather than you. Google says reviews are available only in certain countries or regions and for certain business categories, and that it sometimes turns user content off for a profile temporarily. Nothing you did caused that, and nothing you do will switch it back on. Not every cause works that way, and one or two are quick to rule out. The checklist below covers those. The causes after it are sorted by who can act: you, the business, or Google. ## Related - [My Google review isn't showing for other people](https://reviewsnot.com/my-review-isnt-showing-for-other-people/) - [Google review link not working](https://reviewsnot.com/google-review-link-not-working/) ## Sources - [Manage customer reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en-GB) - [About missing or delayed reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/10313341?hl=en-GB) - [Fix suspended or disabled profiles — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145?hl=en-GB) ## Questions people ask ### Why is there no Write a review button? Usually because reviews are not available for that business's category or region, or Google has temporarily turned user content off for the profile. ### Do I need a Google account to leave a review? Yes. Reviews are tied to a Google account, which is also why they appear on your own contributions page. ### Can a business turn its own reviews off? No. The reasons Google documents are its own: category and region availability, and user content it disables temporarily.