My Struggle With App Fatigue

And “where” it all started

How much do you use apps installed on your mobile device? And when was the last time you installed a new app? The most recent report on mobile activity in the United States, published by Comscore in 2017, showed that mobile activity is indeed surging, but out of the many apps Americans have on their mobile devices, they spend half of their time using their top 1 app, and only use a few apps on a regular basis. It also revealed that almost 50% of Americans have not downloaded a new app in a month, despite the millions of unexplored apps available on the App Store and Google Play.

I am really curious to know your answers to the above questions, and in this story, I will share with you my thoughts on the catchphrase: “There’s an app for that.”

The Steps to a Step Counter

Sedentary lifestyles are the hallmark of the modern world. This is why I find activity trackers helpful as they allow us to set and reach our fitness goals. I wanted my laziest aunt to make use of this technology, but since the mobile app I use is not compatible with her old mobile phone, I decided to install a simple step counter or pedometer. As simple as this incident may sound, it left me like the statue you see below.

Photo by karatara on Pexels

Here are the reasons why…

1. The Huge Number: There are around 10 apps on the App Store and more than 100 on Google Play that are marketed as step counters. You may think that you can rely on the ratings, reviews, and number of downloads to choose the best app, but this may not be very helpful. A huge number of apps have less than 1,000 ratings, and yet, only a few are rated with 3 stars or less. Moreover, reviews may not be objective, especially when they are actually posted by developers and their friends. This is a general problem that applies to most apps, and you can try another example yourself by typing a keyword in the search section of the App Store or Google Play.
2. The Inevitable Future: Now let’s think together who needs a step counter. At present, they are only useful for people who have old mobile phones, and who carry their mobile phones all the time, but in the very near future, these apps will be waiting in vain for an interested user. Again, think about other apps that may soon become useless because of the rapid technological growth, or simply because they are no longer trending. I can think about all the news apps, for instance.
3. The Value of Apps: Are you wondering if the step counter helped my aunt? Well, similar to other people who are stuck in a rut, counting every step did not provide sufficient motivation. She also keeps making fun of that notification that once popped up on her screen telling her just to get off the couch. The value of step counters is controversial, and even the most recent studies show contradictory results. This is also the case with health trackers and health apps in general, and what is even more alarming is that not all of these apps are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Commission.

How Can We Put Apps in Order?

Based on what happens every time we want to install a new app, I have to say that app fatigue starts in the App Store and Google Play; way before we start having too many apps installed on our mobile devices. So, is there an app for that?

Therefore, developers, App Store, and Google Play should watch their steps when adding new apps to the already saturated stores. They should also be aware of the following:

• Users will not easily move to apps with repeated features only because they are revamped with a better design and one or two new features
• Users always try to save space on their mobile devices, but they also care about saving their time, and this is why they regularly go through rounds of uninstalling apps
• Search algorithms used by the App Store and Google Play should be personalized so that every user is matched with his/her preferences and needs
• And finally, apps need to be pulled out of the App Store and Google Play based on criteria that take into account user satisfaction and usability of the app

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