Verbal Augmented Reality Journaling App: Retention

Abstract

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To determine user retention of a verbally interactive, augmented reality buddy app that conducts daily reflective journaling for improving mental health. <h3>Design</h3> Observing retention rates of a free mobile application - YOU-AR-OK (YARO) - released through the iOS and Android App stores. YARO verbally guides daily journaling by prompting verbal responses. <h3>Setting</h3> General Community. <h3>Participants</h3> The convenience sample of participants were the general public who installed YARO on their mobile device: 2264 using Android and 568 using iOS from November 2nd to March 6th. <h3>Interventions</h3> Not applicable. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Measures are: the proportion of users who kept YARO installed versus uninstalled; the weekly retention rate after installation spike; and the number of users who regularly use the application over one-week timeframes. <h3>Results</h3> YARO had 568 installations with 95 deletions on iOS and 2264 installations with 1450 deletions on Android, resulting in 83% retention on iOS and 36% on Android. This rate is higher than other apps on iOS and similar to other apps on Android during COVID. On the day of a marketing push, Android installations spiked at 167 while deletions were 41, resulting in 75% retention after the first day of installations. The corresponding weekly Android retention rate was 59%. Daily usage was approximately 36% continuing for approximately one week after the spike. <h3>Conclusions</h3> YARO performed much better than other apps in the short term but similar to others in the long term. People may have found YARO useful and engaging for the first week, then got bored due to lack of new content and uninstalled. Improving long-term retention and health may involve continually updating the content to ensure users are regularly excited by YARO and engaged, along with gamification and personalization. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> The authors were all involved in the development of the YARO application. One of the authors is CEO for My Viva Inc. which provided branding and marketing for the YARO application.