Usage Logger 2 is an Android app that records or extracts data about how a person uses their smartphone. Primarily developed to assist with psychological research and behavioural science more generally, the app can be configured to perform a number of different functions. This includes the ability to extract information about previous (retrospective) usage (max. 5 days) as well as current usage of the phone.
Geyer, K., Ellis, D. A., Shaw, H., Davidson, B. I. and Keil, T. F. (2023, March 7). Open source smartphone app and tools for measuring, quantifying, and visualizing technology use. PsyArXiv, doi: 10.31234/osf.io/eqhfa
Geyer, K., Ellis, D. A., Shaw, H. and Davidson, B. I. (2022) Open-source smartphone app and tools for measuring, quantifying, and visualizing technology use. Behavior Research Methods, 54(1), 1-12, doi: 10.3758/s13428-021-01585-7
- Android App on Google Play Store.
- Walkthrough how the app works.
- Customise what data the app collects.
- Decrypt & Convert collected data.
- Sample data and scripts for analysis.
- Privacy Policy
Visit the customisation website to configure what kind of data the app collects. This is also discussed in more detail in the publication (see above).
Contextual data
Types of data:
- Installed apps
- Permissions that apps request
- Permissions accepted or rejected by participants
Continuous logging
Types of behaviours:
- Screen on/off events
- What apps are used and when
- When apps send notifications
- When apps are added or removed (installed or uninstalled)
- When phone is restarted (not customisable)
Past usage
Events prior to app installation (max. 5 days), including:
- Screen on/off events
- What apps were used and when
You don’t need to use the decrypting website, if you open the encrypted PDF files with the correct password. However, we have created a website that will automatically decrypt and convert PDF files into CSV files for your convenience. PDF files are used as this allows participants to view their own data on their device at any time.
If you have any problems or specific questions, you are welcome to contact Dr. Heather Shaw (h.shaw5@lancaster.ac.uk). You can read more about our work on our lab website.