In this era of unrestricted smartphone use, “Islamic lifestyle apps” aimed at simplifying daily worship and Islamic living are seeing rising use worldwide. By offering prayer schedules, qibla direction and digital Quran recitation, these apps are playing an important role in the lives of modern Muslims. But a striking new study has raised questions about how effective these apps actually are at deepening users’ spirituality and sustaining long-term religious practice.
A study titled “Islamic Lifestyle Applications: Meeting the Spiritual Needs of Modern Muslims,” recently published in the internationally renowned research journal the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction (IJHCI), found that most popular Islamic apps offer only basic technical features. Their role in deepening users’ intrinsic motivation, religious self-discipline, competence and social bonds is extremely limited. As a result, the study found, these apps are creating gaps in users’ mental and spiritual development and their capacity for sustained, independent reflection. The study was conducted by researchers Mohsinul Kabir, Mohammad Rizwan Kabir and Riyasat Islam of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), the University of Manchester and Queen Mary University of London in the U.K., and Queen’s University in Canada. The study reviewed the technical and psychological aspects of 11 widely used Islamic lifestyle apps, and analyzed the gap between young Muslim users’ expectations and what they actually received, based on their real-world experiences.
The study evaluated the apps using the psychological frameworks of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Technology-as-Experience (TAE). It found that while most apps provide short-term prompts for users’ daily practice, they fail to offer the features needed for genuine spiritual growth. However, apps built with proper attention to psychological and social factors could become an excellent “spiritual companion” for modern Muslims, blending technology with Islam.
Key findings of the study include a lack of independent practice (autonomy). Most apps offer prayer reminders or alarms, but lack proper guidance on the correct rules of worship, the underlying teachings, or a path for continuous spiritual development. There is also weakness in building competence. Progress trackers or goal-setting features fail to give users accurate, analytical feedback on their progress, causing many users to lose interest after a while. The apps also create social isolation (relatedness). While the apps offer social-media sharing features, there is no secure channel for getting direct advice from trusted religious groups or scholars.
Controversies over advertising and privacy are also disrupting the environment for worship. The study also identified various policy and technical flaws in the apps. One of the biggest problems found was inappropriate advertising. Free versions of many apps display commercial ads that disrupt a Muslim’s religious solemnity and focus. Showing objectionable ads during Quran recitation or worship angers users.
In addition, gaps in data privacy and security among top global apps like “Muslim Pro” have created severe distrust among users. As a result, many are limiting their use of these apps or deleting them altogether, out of privacy concerns.
As part of the study, young users interviewed said mobile notifications do help them somewhat in maintaining regular prayer, but that the apps’ mechanical notifications become ineffective once they grow repetitive and monotonous. Users also clearly stated that app-based focus alone cannot replace the mosque or the companionship of genuine scholars.
The researchers offered several important recommendations for technology developers: 1. Spiritual empowerment: adding structured educational modules to apps for Quranic interpretation, hadith teaching and supplications suited to daily-life situations. 2. Ethical advertising models: adopting waqf-based or donation-based funding instead of advertising-based revenue, to preserve the sanctity of the worship environment. 3. Involving scholars: designing app features under the supervision of qualified Islamic scholars, not just technologists, to ensure content doesn’t contradict authentic Islamic teaching. 4. Safe social spaces: creating opportunities to build small virtual study circles or practice groups without privacy risks.