[10] In late 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Modern Rock Tracks (which by then had been renamed to Alternative Airplay), Billboard ranked the song as the 19th-most successful in the chart's history.

[13] David Stubbs from Melody Maker felt the band is "threatening to get caught up in the tramlines of Rainbow's 'Since You've Been Gone' in the opening chords [of the song].

"[2] A reviewer from Music Week gave 'When I Come Around' three out of five, writing, "The fourth track to be lifted from their gold-selling Dookie album lacks the character and charm of 'Basket Case' but shouldn't harm their chart fortunes if their US success is anything to go by.

"[15] Sylvia Patterson from NME named it "their least frantic rouser to date [...] but nonetheless it's a mutant sun-ripe beef tomato of a pop guitar romp featuring the rhyming of "loser" with "user" and — heck!

[18] It shows the band walking to different places, like the Mission District, Broadway, and the Powell Street Station in San Francisco and Berkeley, California at night, along with various scenes of people doing common things all inter-related.