For regular app interactions, such as survey responses and logs, data are stored securely on Microsoft Azure servers in Frankfurt, Germany. More sensitive data, like continuous sensor data or voice and video recordings, are sent directly to a cloud storage location of your choice and are not stored on m-Path servers. If needed, data can also be stored on your own private servers.

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Yes. The platform is built with privacy and security by design, including data minimization, pseudonymization, encrypted data transfer, secure data storage and access control. We support two-factor authentication (2FA).

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Yes. m-Path runs both on iOS and Android smartphones, and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store. We also support integration with many popular smartwatches, such as Garmin, Fitbit, and Apple Watch. For studies that require real-time triggering, Garmin devices are currently supported.

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Yes. An active internet connection is required to receive push notifications and to send data to the server. However, once a notification is opened, participants can complete assessments without an internet connection. Responses are stored securely on the device and automatically uploaded when the phone reconnects to the internet. Data usage is minimal, as only small amounts of text data are transferred.

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A predefined sampling schedule that is downloaded in advance would require the app to run continuously in the background. Modern smartphones limit this to protect battery life and privacy, but these restrictions vary across devices. For this reason, m-Path does not support offline scheduling and instead relies on internet-based notifications for reliable delivery.

m-Path Sense is built on the core m-Path platform but includes additional mobile sensing functionalities. Consequently, users of m-Path Sense are required to grant more permissions on Android and iOS during initial use. To safeguard participants who do not require these sensing features, m-Path Sense is maintained as a separate application. This separation minimizes unnecessary exposure of standard m-Path users to more privacy-intrusive capabilities. Participants are never required to install both applications: users of m-Path Sense complete all surveys directly within the m-Path Sense app.

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Mobile Sensing Lite collects sensor data only at the moment a survey is completed. Mobile Sensing Full continuously collects sensor data in the background via the separate m-Path Sense app, providing richer data but with higher battery and permission requirements.

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Survey data can be exported directly from the researcher dashboard. For individual participants, responses can be downloaded from the Visualize tab. For larger studies, the Export tab allows bulk .csv exports for multiple participants at once (premium feature). Files include timestamps, response times and values, and are ready for statistical analysis in tools such as R, SPSS or Python. More sensitive data, like continuous sensor data or voice and video recordings, are sent directly to a cloud storage location of your choice and should not be exported trough the dashboard.

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Yes, this is a GDPR requirement. Participants can delete their online data at any time directly in the app via the Consent menu. This permanently removes all data collected from that participant from m-Path’s servers.

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Yes. After data collection is completed and you have exported your data, researchers using a paid license can request data deletion by contacting the m-Path team. Data deletion is handled on request to ensure it is performed safely and permanently.

When you have a premium Standard license, m-Path supports multi-user collaboration on the same project. You can invite additional researchers to join and assign them appropriate access permissions so you can jointly design studies, manage data collection, and analyze results.

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