MEOW app FAQ

Q. How much does the MEOW app and/or companion app cost?

A. The MEOW apps (and companion apps) are listed on the app stores as completely FREE downloads. There are no hidden charges. If you get good use out of the app/s and wish to say thank you for it being free use, I have set up a 'buy me a coffee page'.

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Q. Who developed the MEOW app?

A. It was made by a solo developer (myself). I am not an expert app developer... I am an academic... so it is not as flashy as some of the other apps out there. However, it is free to use, and is backed by research evidence.

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Q. How does the MEOW app work?

A. The MEOW app is designed to be a mood monitoring tool. You fill it out ​as many times as you like over a period of time. You can choose in the app settings for it to ask you 'The past week', 'This day', 'The past few hours', 'This present moment'.

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Q. Will the MEOW app send me reminders to respond?

A. Not at this stage sorry. Maybe in a future update. You will have to manage your own time (e.g., set up a regular alarm on your phone).

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Q. How private is my data when using the MEOW app?

A. Privacy was a key concern when developing the app. The app stores your wellbeing data on the local device only. There is no connection to any external server. So for all intents and purposes the data is private to you as it is only stored on your local device. This holds for both the MEOW app and the respective companion apps.

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Q. What wellbeing data can I obtain when using the app? 

A. The MEOW app for children: Emotional wellbeing (via Brief Emotional Experience Scale), and other single item questions for: Enjoyment of school,  exercise, focus (concentration), sleep, getting along with friends, getting along with other students, getting along with family.  The MEOW app for adults: Emotional wellbeing (via Brief Emotional Experience Scale), anger (via a brief 3-item extension to the BEES), physical wellbeing (via Brief Emotional Experience Physical Scale), enyoyment of work, exercise, focus (concentration), sleep, getting along with friends, getting along with wok colleagues, getting along with family. 

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Q. I don't want to answer all of those questions. Do I have any control over what is asked by the app for the wellbeing survey? 

A. Yes, the user can toggle questions on or off. The exception is the emotional wellbeing measure (BEES) which is always on, as that is the core measure the app was built for.

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Q. How long does a MEOW app response take?

​A. About 30 seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the person making the response.​

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Q. How can I see my own personal wellbeing data? 

A. As described on the MEOW app information pages, you can view your own data by clicking on the 'My data' button on the home page of the app to access charts of your personal data.

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Q. Can I download my wellbeing data, or email it?

A. Yes, on the MEOW app under settings there is an option to download your data as a .csv file. There is also an option to email your data to an email address of your choosing.

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Q. What is the point of the companion apps?

A. The companion apps can be used where there is a person (or persons) managing a group of people using the MEOW app. The person coordinating the data collection will need to arrange to get the people using the MEOW app to email them their data. The companion app can then collate and summarise all the .csv files.

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Q. Are the companion apps necessary for an individual user?

A. No, if you are simply using the MEOW app for your own personal mood monitoring you don't need to worry about the companion app. You only need to to use the core MEOW app.

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​Q. What's with the cat theme?

A. Well, I like cats. Plus, the name of the app makes a cat-themed acronym (MEOW). 

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Q. Where did the app pictures come from?

A. I used chatgpt to make the images. The real world cat that acted as inspiration for the images is my cat, Diana, who is a grey tabby cat with a white mouth (similar to the cat pictures on the apps).