Analyzing Accessibility, Usability, and User Experience in Mobile Apps Through User Reviews: An Extended Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

User reviews have become an essential source for evaluating quality attributes in mobile applications. Although prior research has examined privacy, security, and digital accessibility for people with disabilities through user feedback, comprehensive studies simultaneously analyzing accessibility, usability, and user experience (UX) through this lens remain scarce. This study expands on our earlier work by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) to explore the connections between these three dimensions through user feedback analysis. From 670 studies published since 2013, we selected 42 for thematic analysis. The selected papers reflect the field’s multidisciplinary nature, encompassing computer science, health sciences, and social sciences, with most studies focusing on applications in both physical and mental health domains. The findings highlight accessibility as an ongoing challenge for users with disabilities and those with specific needs. Key results include: (i) a disparity between two positive and six negative accessibility factors; (ii) usability findings revealing six strengths (e.g., performance, design simplicity) but fourteen shortcomings (e.g., navigation difficulties, unintuitive interfaces); (iii) nine core UX elements, with accessibility and usability as central components; and (iv) thirty-three actionable recommendations for future research. This study provides a holistic understanding of how usability and UX improvements can enhance accessibility. The findings aim to assist developers and organizations in creating more inclusive mobile applications while guiding future research directions.