What are the current trends and challenges in digital forensic analysis of mobile applications? : A systematic literature review

The rapid rise of the internet and smartphones has profoundly reshaped modern life, creating what is now referred to as an ”always-on, always-connected” society. While these technologies offer considerable benefits and convenience, they have also introduced new opportunities for criminal activity and exploitation. As a result, digital forensics has emerged and evolved to meet the growing need for investigating digital crimes. Originally developed to address offenses involving traditional computers, the field has expanded into specialized areas such as mobile forensics, and more specifically, mobile application forensics. Mobile application forensics focuses on the identification, extraction, and analysis of digital evidence specifically from mobile apps, rather than from mobile devices as a whole. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of mobile application forensics by systematically reviewing existing literature. Through this process, it identifies key trends and challenges that forensic practitioners face in the field today. Despite the increasing relevance of mobile applications in both personal and criminal contexts, there remains a noticeable gap in consolidated research addressing this area. By synthesizing findings from primary studies, this work contributes a broad, structured overview of mobile application forensics and highlights areas requiring further research and development.