A systematic search of mindfulness-based mobile apps accessible from Australia was conducted in June 2014. The search was conducted using the Google app search function as well as the search feature in the iTunes app store. The Google app search included mindfulness, vipassana, mindful, meditation, and present moment, and excluded hypnosis, hypnotize, weight, magazine, mindmap, mind map, mind-map, and binaural. “Mindfulness” was the only search term used in iTunes, as the search feature was more limited.
Preliminary screening removed irrelevant apps (music/relaxation, happiness, inspirational cards, games, clocks, etc), apps not in English, and those that were not readily accessible. Mindfulness apps that were secular, explicated mindfulness practice, and also had guided mindfulness training were included. Apps that only gave reminders, timers, or guided meditation tracks were excluded, as were apps that cost more than $10 (on the grounds that they were unlikely to be purchased by a large number of users). While guided meditation tracks are a part of mindfulness training, that by itself cannot be justified as mindfulness training as they lack education about mindfulness.
The apps were rated and reviewed in iOS 7 with an iPhone 5s. Each app was tested by at least one author for a minimum of 30 minutes in a real-world setting. The authors were involved in the development of the MARS [24 (link)] and had undertaken mindfulness training. Two of the authors had delivered mindfulness training as part of their clinical psychology practice.
Preliminary screening removed irrelevant apps (music/relaxation, happiness, inspirational cards, games, clocks, etc), apps not in English, and those that were not readily accessible. Mindfulness apps that were secular, explicated mindfulness practice, and also had guided mindfulness training were included. Apps that only gave reminders, timers, or guided meditation tracks were excluded, as were apps that cost more than $10 (on the grounds that they were unlikely to be purchased by a large number of users). While guided meditation tracks are a part of mindfulness training, that by itself cannot be justified as mindfulness training as they lack education about mindfulness.
The apps were rated and reviewed in iOS 7 with an iPhone 5s. Each app was tested by at least one author for a minimum of 30 minutes in a real-world setting. The authors were involved in the development of the MARS [24 (link)] and had undertaken mindfulness training. Two of the authors had delivered mindfulness training as part of their clinical psychology practice.
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