A comparison of self-reported COVID-19 symptoms between android and iOS CoronaCheck app users

Abstract

This study explored differences in COVID-19 infections and symptoms between Android and iOS users using data from the CoronaCheck app. This cross-sectional analysis included 23,063 global users (20,753 Android and 2310 iOS) from April 2020 to February 2023. Participants reported COVID-19 symptoms and contact risks, with data analyzed to adjust for age, sex, education, and country. Android users were generally younger, more often male, had a lower educational level, and reported more symptoms on average (2.1 vs. 1.6) than iOS users. Android users also had higher suspected COVID-19 infection rates (24% vs. 11%), with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.21 (95% CI: 1.93–2.54). These findings suggest platform-based differences in COVID-19 infection rates and symptom reporting, highlighting potential biases in mobile health research. Adjusting for device operating systems may be crucial in improving the reliability of population-based health data collected through mobile platforms.