The Role of Islamic Mobile Apps in Enhancing Religious Practices among Gen Z in Jakarta

The rapid growth of digital technology has transformed religious practices among Generation Z (Gen Z), particularly in Muslim-majority contexts such as Indonesia. This study investigates the role of Islamic mobile applications in enhancing religious engagement among Gen Z Muslims in Jakarta. Utilizing a framework based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT/UTAUT2) and an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study investigates how attitudes, behavioral intentions, and actual usage of Islamic apps are influenced by perceived utility, perceived ease of use, trust, privacy concerns, social influence, and habit, as well as how these elements affect religious engagement. An online survey was used to gather data from 210 Gen Z respondents, and Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) was used to analyze the model. The results show that attitudes are considerably shaped by perceived ease of use, while attitudes and intentions are not much impacted by perceived usefulness. Actual usage is a powerful indicator of religious engagement, while social influence and habit are important determinants of behavioral intention. It's interesting to see that attitudes are positively impacted by privacy worries, indicating a privacy paradox among Gen Z consumers. By expanding technology acceptance models into the field of digital religion, this study advances both theory and practice by providing guidance to developers, educators, and legislators on how Islamic apps can encourage young people to engage in faith-based activities