Studying Users’ Perceptions of COVID-19 Mobile Applications in Saudi Arabia

Mashael Alghareeb, Abdulmohsen Saud Albesher () and Amna Asif ()
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Mashael Alghareeb: The Department of Information Systems, College of Computer Sciences and Information Technology, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia
Abdulmohsen Saud Albesher: The Department of Information Systems, College of Computer Sciences and Information Technology, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia
Amna Asif: School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: In Saudi Arabia, several mitigating measures were implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the creation of COVID-19 mobile applications (apps) for public use. The Saudi government has made the use of these apps mandatory for its citizens and residents. However, it is essential to explore the perception that common users have regarding using these apps in terms of usability and user experience. Therefore, this paper assesses user experience in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction with the usability of the Saudi COVID-19 apps. The reviews of five mobile apps launched by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) and the Ministry of Health in the Apple Store were extracted using an online tool and analyzed using the content analysis method. The number of collected reviews was 29 for Sehha, 406 for Sehhaty, 442 for Mawid, 107 for Tabaud, and 1338 for Tawakkalna. The results of the study showed that Mawid (82%) and Tabaud (81%) had the highest usability of all the apps studied. Sehha ( − 138%) and Sehhaty (−107%) received the lowest usability scores, followed by Tawakkalna ( − 22%). Based on these results, we identified several usability issues with each app. Some of the main problems reported by users were increased battery drain, lack of privacy, and technical issues.

Keywords: usability; m-health; apps; content analysis; user experience; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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