Exploring Users' Experiences With a Quick-Response Chatbot Within a Popular Smoking Cessation Smartphone App: Semistructured Interview Study

Background: Engagement with smartphone apps for smoking cessation tends to be low. Chatbots (ie, software that enables conversations with users) offer a promising means of increasing engagement. Objective: We aimed to explore smokers' experiences with a quick-response chatbot (Quit Coach) implemented within a popular smoking cessation app and identify factors that influence users' engagement with Quit Coach. Methods: In-depth, one-to-one, semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with adult, past-year smokers who had voluntarily used Quit Coach in a recent smoking cessation attempt (5/14, 36%) and current smokers who agreed to download and use Quit Coach for a minimum of 2 weeks to support a new cessation attempt (9/14, 64%). Verbal reports were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed within a constructivist theoretical framework using inductive thematic analysis. Results: A total of 3 high-order themes were generated to capture users' experiences and engagement with Quit Coach: anthropomorphism of and accountability to Quit Coach (ie, users ascribing human-like characteristics and thoughts to the chatbot, which helped foster a sense of accountability to it), Quit Coach's interaction style and format (eg, positive and motivational tone of voice and quick and easy-to-complete check-ins), and users' perceived need for support (ie, chatbot engagement was motivated by seeking distraction from cravings or support to maintain motivation to stay quit). Conclusions: Anthropomorphism of a quick-response chatbot implemented within a popular smoking cessation app appeared to be enabled by its interaction style and format and users' perceived need for support, which may have given rise to feelings of accountability and increased engagement.