Evaluation of Meditation Apps Available on Google Play and Apple Store: An App Review.

Overview

Many meditation apps have been used to improve the mental wellbeing of individuals. However, little information is available regarding the quality of the applications. This study aims to evaluate meditation apps using the Mobile Applications Rating Scale (MARS). A systematic search for meditation apps was performed on both Android Google Play and Apple iOS Store. We used two keywords to search both app stores: meditation and mindfulness. Out of 623 apps identified, 334 apps were excluded due to language, containing only reminders to meditate, or for not being accessible. A total number of 289 apps remained, of which 280 apps were excluded for being information-only focused, containing religious practices, eating habits, exercises, or for not being free. Therefore, nine apps were included in this review for evaluation. The MARS ratings used in this app review were based on scores from a prior study conducted. The mobile app Headspace had the highest average (4), which is rated as 'good' based on MARS. The remaining apps were rated as acceptable with averages that ranged from 3.2-3.7.