an in-situ study of mobile phone notifications

An In-Situ Study of

Mobile Phone Notifications

Research

Martin Pielot

Telefónica

Research

Rodrigo de

Oliveira

Google Inc.*

Karen Church

Yahoo Inc.*

* this work was done while working in Telefónica Research

ACM MobileHCI ’14, Sep 2014, Toronto, Canada

(Slideshare edit)

MotivationPractice Cell Phone Etiquette Step 4 by Wikiphoto, via WikiHow, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

On notification, people often interrupt

current activities to check notification

…

We aimed to better understand why

In-Situ Study on Mobile Phone Notifications

(1) Quantitative analysis of notifications

and attentiveness

(2) Fusion with daily subjective feedback

on emotional impact

(3) Implications for strategies to improve

notification handling

Methodology

Participants

15 Volunteers (6 female, 9 male)

Europe and US

Late 20ies, early 30ies

Information workers

Notification Monitor

Notification Posted

Opening of Notification Center

Launch of Apps

Attentiveness

Time

Attentiveness

Time

No notifications on lock screen!

3/13/13 [SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Push Message/Notification Study - Diary Survey

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIEW_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COLLECTION&sm=%2ffVLBq9vJAztCbrM44%2bMhq0hVuR… 2/4

*

*

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network

apps  (Facebook,

Twitter,  LinkedIn,

etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps

(updates,  games,

etc.)

5.  How  much  did  the  majority  of  these  messages/notifications  interrupt  you  from

your  daily  tasks?

Very

frequently

distracted

Frequently

distracted

Occasionally

distracted

Rarely

distracted

Very  rarely  or

never

distracted

NA

Mobile  instant

messaging  apps

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network  apps

(Facebook,  Twitter,

LinkedIn,  etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps  (updates,

games,  etc.)

6.  With  respect  to  the  messages/notifications  you  received  on  your  mobile  phone

on  Tuesday  March  5th,  2013.

Strongly  disagree DisagreeNeither  agree  nor

disagreeAgree Strongly  agree

I  received  a  lot  of

notifications

I  felt  overwhelmed

by  the  amount  of

notifications

I  felt  stressed  by

Please  tell  us  more  about  the  application  or  notifications  that  cause  the  most  distraction

Diary Survey – Daily for 7 Days

3/13/13 [SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Push Message/Notification Study - Diary Survey

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIEW_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COLLECTION&sm=%2ffVLBq9vJAztCbrM44%2bMhq0hVuR… 2/4

*

*

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network

apps  (Facebook,

Twitter,  LinkedIn,

etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps

(updates,  games,

etc.)

5.  How  much  did  the  majority  of  these  messages/notifications  interrupt  you  from

your  daily  tasks?

Very

frequently

distracted

Frequently

distracted

Occasionally

distracted

Rarely

distracted

Very  rarely  or

never

distracted

NA

Mobile  instant

messaging  apps

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network  apps

(Facebook,  Twitter,

LinkedIn,  etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps  (updates,

games,  etc.)

6.  With  respect  to  the  messages/notifications  you  received  on  your  mobile  phone

on  Tuesday  March  5th,  2013.

Strongly  disagree DisagreeNeither  agree  nor

disagreeAgree Strongly  agree

I  received  a  lot  of

notifications

I  felt  overwhelmed

by  the  amount  of

notifications

I  felt  stressed  by

Please  tell  us  more  about  the  application  or  notifications  that  cause  the  most  distraction

Diary Survey – Daily for 7 Days

3/13/13 [SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Push Message/Notification Study - Diary Survey

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIEW_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COLLECTION&sm=%2ffVLBq9vJAztCbrM44%2bMhq0hVuR… 2/4

*

*

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network

apps  (Facebook,

Twitter,  LinkedIn,

etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps

(updates,  games,

etc.)

5.  How  much  did  the  majority  of  these  messages/notifications  interrupt  you  from

your  daily  tasks?

Very

frequently

distracted

Frequently

distracted

Occasionally

distracted

Rarely

distracted

Very  rarely  or

never

distracted

NA

Mobile  instant

messaging  apps

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network  apps

(Facebook,  Twitter,

LinkedIn,  etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps  (updates,

games,  etc.)

6.  With  respect  to  the  messages/notifications  you  received  on  your  mobile  phone

on  Tuesday  March  5th,  2013.

Strongly  disagree DisagreeNeither  agree  nor

disagreeAgree Strongly  agree

I  received  a  lot  of

notifications

I  felt  overwhelmed

by  the  amount  of

notifications

I  felt  stressed  by

Please  tell  us  more  about  the  application  or  notifications  that  cause  the  most  distraction

Diary Survey – Daily for 7 Days

3/13/13 [SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Push Message/Notification Study - Diary Survey

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIEW_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COLLECTION&sm=%2ffVLBq9vJAztCbrM44%2bMhq0hVuR… 2/4

*

*

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network

apps  (Facebook,

Twitter,  LinkedIn,

etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps

(updates,  games,

etc.)

5.  How  much  did  the  majority  of  these  messages/notifications  interrupt  you  from

your  daily  tasks?

Very

frequently

distracted

Frequently

distracted

Occasionally

distracted

Rarely

distracted

Very  rarely  or

never

distracted

NA

Mobile  instant

messaging  apps

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network  apps

(Facebook,  Twitter,

LinkedIn,  etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps  (updates,

games,  etc.)

6.  With  respect  to  the  messages/notifications  you  received  on  your  mobile  phone

on  Tuesday  March  5th,  2013.

Strongly  disagree DisagreeNeither  agree  nor

disagreeAgree Strongly  agree

I  received  a  lot  of

notifications

I  felt  overwhelmed

by  the  amount  of

notifications

I  felt  stressed  by

Please  tell  us  more  about  the  application  or  notifications  that  cause  the  most  distraction

Diary Survey – Daily for 7 Days

3/13/13 [SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Push Message/Notification Study - Diary Survey

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIEW_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COLLECTION&sm=%2ffVLBq9vJAztCbrM44%2bMhq0hVuR… 2/4

*

*

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network

apps  (Facebook,

Twitter,  LinkedIn,

etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps

(updates,  games,

etc.)

5.  How  much  did  the  majority  of  these  messages/notifications  interrupt  you  from

your  daily  tasks?

Very

frequently

distracted

Frequently

distracted

Occasionally

distracted

Rarely

distracted

Very  rarely  or

never

distracted

NA

Mobile  instant

messaging  apps

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network  apps

(Facebook,  Twitter,

LinkedIn,  etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps  (updates,

games,  etc.)

6.  With  respect  to  the  messages/notifications  you  received  on  your  mobile  phone

on  Tuesday  March  5th,  2013.

Strongly  disagree DisagreeNeither  agree  nor

disagreeAgree Strongly  agree

I  received  a  lot  of

notifications

I  felt  overwhelmed

by  the  amount  of

notifications

I  felt  stressed  by

Please  tell  us  more  about  the  application  or  notifications  that  cause  the  most  distraction

Diary Survey – Daily for 7 Days

Morning of next day – to capture late-night notifications

No experience sampling – to not add new notifications

Notifications

messengers49%

email32%

social networks

4%

other15%

6854 notifications in 7 days

Participants did not have

to alter notification

settings

• 2 of 15 did not receive

email notifications

• 7 of 15 did not receive

social network

notifications

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140N

otific

atio

ns

pe

r D

ay

Messengers Email Social Networks Other

Weekday Day in Weekend

63.5 notifications per day (Median)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

MIM Email Social Other

User

Res

po

nses

How many notifications have you receivedon your mobile phone?

don't know

way more

more

the usual

fewer

way fewer

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Nu

mb

er

of

No

tifi

ca

tio

ns

Hour of the Day

Messengers Email Social Other

Messages: breaks and evening

Emails: work hours

Attentiveness

Attentiveness - Expectations

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

How fast do YOU typically respond?

With respect to the people you communicate most with

Within a few days

Within 24 hours

Within a few hours

Within an hour

Within a few minutes

Immediatey

Attentiveness - Expectations

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

How fast do THEY typically respond?

With respect to the people you communicate most with

Within a few days

Within 24 hours

Within a few hours

Within an hour

Within a few minutes

Immediatey

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

Tim

e u

ntil a

tte

nd

ed

(m

in)

Messengers Email Social Networks Other

Weekday Day in Weekend

From: 3.5 min (messages on weekends)

To: 27.7 min (emails on weekends)

Actual Attentiveness

Ringer Mode

Vibration mode faster notification attendance

No difference between silent and normal mode

Emotional Impact

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Msgs Email Social Other

Use

r R

esp

on

ses NA

never

rarely

occasionally

frequenty

very frequenty

How frequently felt distracted?

WhatsApp was distracting a bit in the evening when I was out at the opera and then for birthday drinks with friends. It was not important to answer, but still a matter of politeness I had to answer in a reasonable time span.

3/13/13 [SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Push Message/Notification Study - Diary Survey

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIEW_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COLLECTION&sm=%2ffVLBq9vJAztCbrM44%2bMhq0hVuR… 2/4

*

*

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network

apps  (Facebook,

Twitter,  LinkedIn,

etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps

(updates,  games,

etc.)

5.  How  much  did  the  majority  of  these  messages/notifications  interrupt  you  from

your  daily  tasks?

Very

frequently

distracted

Frequently

distracted

Occasionally

distracted

Rarely

distracted

Very  rarely  or

never

distracted

NA

Mobile  instant

messaging  apps

(WhatsApp,  SMS,

Skype,  etc.)

Social  Network  apps

(Facebook,  Twitter,

LinkedIn,  etc.)

E-­mail

Other  apps  (updates,

games,  etc.)

6.  With  respect  to  the  messages/notifications  you  received  on  your  mobile  phone

on  Tuesday  March  5th,  2013.

Strongly  disagree DisagreeNeither  agree  nor

disagreeAgree Strongly  agree

I  received  a  lot  of

notifications

I  felt  overwhelmed

by  the  amount  of

notifications

I  felt  stressed  by

Please  tell  us  more  about  the  application  or  notifications  that  cause  the  most  distraction

3/13/13 [SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Push Message/Notification Study - Diary Survey

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIEW_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COLLECTION&sm=%2ffVLBq9vJAztCbrM44%2bMhq0hVuR… 3/4

*

*

*

the  notifications

I  felt  interrupted  by

the  notifications

I  felt  annoyed  by

the  notifications

I  felt  connected

with  others.

I  felt  that  others  are

thinking  about  me.

7.  There  was  at  least  one  instance  when  the  messages/notifications  kept  me  from

doing  something  I  had  to  or  wanted  to  do.

8.  There  was  at  least  one  instance  when  I  could  not  respond  to  a  notification  or

message  as  fast  as  I  had  wished.

9.  There  was  at  least  one  instance  when  I  felt  pressured  to  respond  immediately

to  a  notification  or  message.

Yes

No

I  don't  remember

Please  tell  us  more  about  this  experience  (when  it  happened,  where,  with  whom  you  were,  what

were  you  doing…)

Yes

No

I  don't  remember

Please  tell  us  more  about  this  experience  (when  it  happened,  where,  with  whom  you  were,  what

were  you  doing…)

Yes

No

Daily Diary

Keri J. Email customized icon. via Flickr, Mar 3, 2010 (CC BY-ND

2.0)

more

emails

Increased feelings of

overwhelmed

interrupted

stressed

annoyed

LaurMG. A frustrated man sitting at a desk. via Wikipedia, May 24, 2011 (CC BY-

SA 3.0).

Email notifications are usually from

exchange server, so they are work

related. It means if I am not near my

computer, I should get to my computer

and reply

more

messages

Increased feelings of

having to deal with

a lot of messages

and being

overwhelmed

Jhaymesisviphotography. Texting. via Flickr, Dec 10, 2011 (CC

BY 2.0)

WhatsApp users don’t have option to

stop other side of users knowing if you

have already read or not [...] people

tend to expect immediate answers.

BUT also

feeling connected

with others

Brinks Alo. Week 11/52: How Sweet It is To Be Loved by You. via Flickr, Oct 3, 2010 (CC BY-

ND 2.0)

I was talking to my sister. She was

sad [and] I wanted to respond

immediately to comfort her.

Design Implications for

Notification Handling

Reducing number of interruptions

e.g. by muting the ringer when notification is predicted to be “unimportant” or context “unsuitable” …

Not advisable for communication services as users will check their phones anyway

Rosenthal et al. 2011

Defer notification ‘til opportune moment

e.g. detecting break-points or wait until

activities are finished

Advisable for work/emails, but difficult

in case of personal communication

Horvitz et al. 2005, Iqbal and Bailey 2008, Fischer et al. 2011, Leiva et al.

2012

Communicating non-availability

e.g. by communicating context or

predicting attentiveness

Advisable for personal communication,

to manage expectations

Harper and Taylor 2009, Reynolds et al. 2013, Pielot et al. 2014

Take Aways

63.5 notifications per day, mostly from communication apps

People attend fast to notifications, in particular from messengers (3.5 min median) … even if the phone is in silent mode

Notifications, in particular related to work, correlate with negative emotions

However, personal communication also correlates with feeling connected

Implications depend on type of notification

Other/Non-important = mute ringer

Work/Email = deliver at opportune moment

Personal/Messages= communicate availability

An In-Situ Study

of

Mobile Phone

Notifications

Martin

Pielot

Rodrigo

de Oliveira

Karen

Church

* this work was done while

working in Telefónica

Research

ACM MobileHCI ’14, Sep 2014, Toronto,

Canada

Google

Inc.*

Yahoo

Inc.*

Telefónica

Research