Understanding Mobile Search: A Survey of Smartphone Users' Location, Social Context, Search Activity and Search Motivation

The behaviour of mobile phone searchers is changing. Traditionally, mobile phone search has meant on the move, limited time and a high failure rate for finding relevant information. However, due to the fast development of smartphones, improved mobile broadband, low cost mobile internet and the blooming of social networks, smartphones have become a primary device for information access in more stationary and familiar locations, such as at home or at work. This changing behaviour could significantly influence the mobile phone search domain. In order to improve the design of mobile search for mobile phone users, a deeper understanding of mobile information needs, behaviours, underlying motivations and associated interaction challenges is a fundamental task. The aim of this study is to understand the current change in mobile information needs, behaviours and motivations, and their impact for future mobile phone search. We present the results from an online survey involving 256 users over a 4 week period, focusing on when, where, what and how people use the mobile phone search. We discuss these findings to present a picture of how location, social context and current work task impact mobile phone search, and analyses the relationship between search activity, search motivation and key contextual factors.