Life fits home: Exploring people's experience with a COVID-19 tracing app in Turkey through a qualitative study

Mobile apps have been developed to manage COVID-19 in many countries. However, for these apps to be truly effective, they need to be widely adopted by society. To date, there has been less qualitative research on user experiences and perspectives on these apps. The goal of this study was to explore how users perceive and use different features of a COVID-19 tracing app provided in Turkey. Semi-structured interviews (n = 15) were conducted over the phone, audio recorded, and then transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions were analyzed through thematic analysis. The analysis began by categorizing each transcript at the sentence level through open codes, which then grouped into broader themes. In total, 8 male and 7 female participants from 10 different cities took part in the interviews. On average, participants were 32 years (SD = 6.8) old, and their app usage experience was 9.8 months (SD = 3.1). Thematic analysis revealed five key themes: long-term adoption and engagement, perception and desired features, privacy concerns, reliability, and emotional and behavioral impact. The main reasons for users to download and use the app were to check the COVID-19 density map in their region and to access personal health codes for security checks. The COVID-19 density map caused many users to change where they usually travel and shop. Most participants felt comfortable sharing their personal data to collectively manage the pandemic. The majority found the app useful, stating that the app allows them to take precautions against the virus and therefore helps them feel good emotionally. Future contact tracing apps need to provide indicators to enable users to evaluate whether app use is making a difference in the pandemic.