Abstract
Purpose
Despite the widespread download of mobile apps and the significant revenue potential they offer to app firms, existing research has largely overlooked differences in usage among various types of mobile apps as well as antecedents related to the ubiquity of mobile internet that influence app usage. Thus, this study explores how geographical mobility impacts mobile app usage behavior, with a particular focus on comparing game apps with reading apps.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected over four weeks from users of a large Chinese mobile communication company. The study employed two-stage least squares panel instrumental variable (IV-2SLS) regression and propensity score matching (PSM) methods to analyze the data. An experiment was conducted to validate the mechanism.
Findings
Geographical mobility increases game app usage – but not reading app usage – and this effect is mediated by self-regulatory depletion. Additionally, greater self-regulation ability weakens the positive impact of mobility on game app usage.
Practical implications
This study provides practical implications for mobile communication firms, app providers, and policymakers. Mobile firms can use users’ mobility patterns to design personalized service plans and improve customer segmentation. App providers may incorporate mobility and cognitive states into content recommendation and interface design. Policymakers can promote digital service innovation by considering mobility-related needs in standards and public health policies.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the literature on mobile app usage by explaining geographical mobility as the antecedent for differences in usage across app categories, providing a new perspective on the usage of mobile apps.
Despite the widespread download of mobile apps and the significant revenue potential they offer to app firms, existing research has largely overlooked differences in usage among various types of mobile apps as well as antecedents related to the ubiquity of mobile internet that influence app usage. Thus, this study explores how geographical mobility impacts mobile app usage behavior, with a particular focus on comparing game apps with reading apps.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected over four weeks from users of a large Chinese mobile communication company. The study employed two-stage least squares panel instrumental variable (IV-2SLS) regression and propensity score matching (PSM) methods to analyze the data. An experiment was conducted to validate the mechanism.
Findings
Geographical mobility increases game app usage – but not reading app usage – and this effect is mediated by self-regulatory depletion. Additionally, greater self-regulation ability weakens the positive impact of mobility on game app usage.
Practical implications
This study provides practical implications for mobile communication firms, app providers, and policymakers. Mobile firms can use users’ mobility patterns to design personalized service plans and improve customer segmentation. App providers may incorporate mobility and cognitive states into content recommendation and interface design. Policymakers can promote digital service innovation by considering mobility-related needs in standards and public health policies.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the literature on mobile app usage by explaining geographical mobility as the antecedent for differences in usage across app categories, providing a new perspective on the usage of mobile apps.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Industrial Management and Data Systems |
| Early online date | 2 Dec 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 2 Dec 2025 |
Funding
The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (award numbers 72172110 and 71872140).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| National Natural Science Foundation of China | 72172110, 71872140 |
Keywords
- self-regulation ability
- IV-2SLS
- usage of mobile apps
- geographical mobility
- self-regulatory resources
Access to Document
- The Impact of Geographical Mobility on Mobile App Usage
This manuscript has been made open access under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence under the terms of the University of Aberdeen Research Publications Policy. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/