 "I Miss You" has received generally positive reviews from music critics. Heather Phares of Allmusic complimented "I Miss You", and categorized it as one of the tracks on Meet Miley Cyrus that bared much resemblance to Hannah Montana songs. Andy Webster of The New York Times wrote that "I Miss You" is "as doleful as it gets". Andy Spletzer of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer believed the track had a level a sincerity that was void from the remainder of Cyrus'repertoire at the time. He added, "The songs are more guitar-driven, the outfits more adult, and the lyrics imply a string of bad boyfriends -- but it feels like imaginary drama taken from high school poetry, as if she's pretending to be older than she is." In a similar note, Elysa Gardner of USA Today stated the song was the exception to the "heavy on flash and fantasy" that characterized Cyrus at the time. Joseph P. Kahn of the Boston Globe mentioned the song while remarking that Cyrus' songs surpass much of the music played on Radio Disney. Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide believed the track a was a clear demonstration of how affectionate Cyrus was with her grandfather. Kelly Jane Torrance of The Washington Times said "I Miss You" was an unpredictable effort, which, according to her, was both empathetic and executed properly, from Cyrus.
