Study: 84% in SG use mobile apps and digital services for daily activities

84% of Singaporeans use mobile apps and digital services for daily activities often. Meanwhile a significant 58% found that technological advancement for mobile apps and digital services is at the right pace. 

The widespread adoption shows that Singaporeans have kept up with technological advancements in their daily lives, said Yahoo Singapore in its recent study with Milieu Insight titled "Clicks and shifts: Yahoo Singapore digital study". 

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Such daily life activities include transportation and payments, added the report. However, it found that there are differing views regarding the pace of technological change, the benefits and challenges of having new apps and digital services, and how these improve people’s quality of life, with several segments of society standing out.

While a majority were open to the benefits of mobile apps and digital services, a significant number were still on the fence on its benefits. 

More than half (64%) said the benefits of using new mobile apps and digital services outweigh their challenges and potential disruptions to daily life. 32% were undecided about its benefits while 4% disagreed. 

Meanwhile, 54% said mobile apps and digital services improve their quality of life. 39% were neutral about the sentiment and 7% disagreed. 

Additionally, the report found that social factors such as affluence and educational level impact how users use and benefit from apps and digital services. 

A majority of those with household incomes of SG$12,000 and higher believe the pace of tech is just right (61%), and believe that the benefits of learning and using new mobile apps and digital services outweigh potential challenges and disruptions (83%).

In contrast, among those whose household incomes are less than SG$3,000, only 55% believe the pace of tech is just right while 48% believe that the benefits of learning and using new mobile apps and digital services outweighs its potential challenges and disruptions.

How is it being used? 

Among respondents who rode public transport, a majority (57%) said they use a mobile app or an e-wallet for payment-related matters, while 43% said they did not.

64% of those who use mobile apps or e-wallets for public transport utilised it to pay fares. 56% used it to check transaction history, 50% to check the balance of their card’s stored value, and 39% to top up their stored value in a card.

On the other hand, 36% indicate that they currently pay for fares using a smartphone or smart watch.

When it comes to mode of payments, people in Singapore prefer to go cashless. Gen Z (38%) preferred mobile e-wallets and digital payment services while millennials (41%) preferred contactless credit, debit, or prepaid cards. 

Gen X tied between contactless cards (30%) and mobile e-wallets and digital payments (30%). Baby Boomers (31%) preferred cash. 

What matters most? 

When asked to pick the top three factors when using mobile apps and digital services, a majority (76%) chose the ease of use and navigation of mobile apps and digital services, followed by the adequate protection of personal data (62%), and functionality (59%). Other factors were not of top concern to the majority. These include access to promotions and vouchers (29%) and appearance (9%).

Interestingly, older generations were more concerned about protecting their personal data, likely due to the rise in online scams, with it as one of the top concerns for Baby Boomers (76%), followed by Gen X (68%). In comparison, only 57% of millennials and 55% of Gen Zs indicated that a mobile app or digital service protecting their data is of top priority.

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