Sexualities, Ahead of Print.
The motivation to use apps to measure and automate intimate aspects of life, including sexual behaviours, is growing. This research qualitatively collects diaries and interviews of 21 user experiences with sex-tracking apps, which are designed to help users evaluate and manage relationships via the quantification of sexual activities. The article seeks a tripartite understanding of how the apps are used as an instrument to (1) know oneself, (2) control one’s bodies and desires and (3) mapping, ordering and collecting sexual interactions. The results reveal that participatory innovation, performance prioritisation and trophy cataloguing are they key outcomes.