A review on the mobile applications developed for COVID-19: An exploratory analysis

TL;DR

This paper systematically reviews COVID-19 mobile apps, analyzing their features, objectives, and design characteristics to inform future development and refinement of such applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of COVID-19 mobile apps, identifying key functionalities and design factors to guide future app development.

Findings

Identified nine core functionalities of COVID-19 apps.

Revealed ten design factors influencing app effectiveness.

Highlighted the need for app refinement considering user-centric design.

Abstract

The objective of this research is to explore the existing mobile applications developed for the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain this research objective, firstly the related applications were selected through the systematic search technique in the popular application stores. Secondly, data related to the app objectives, functionalities provided by the app, user ratings, and user reviews were extracted. Thirdly, the extracted data were analyzed through the affinity diagram, noticing-collecting-thinking, and descriptive analysis. As outcomes, the review provides a state-of-the-art view of mobile apps developed for COVID-19 by revealing nine functionalities or features. It revealed ten factors related to information systems design characteristics that can guide future app design. The review outcome highlights the need for new development and further refinement of the existing applications considering not only the revealed objectives and their associated functionalities, but also revealed design characteristics such as reliability, performance, usefulness, supportive, security, privacy, flexibility, responsiveness, ease of use, and cultural sensitivity.