This study investigates how different types of loading screen interactivity, passive, interactive non-gamified, and gamified, affect users’ perceived waiting time and emotional responses in mobile applications. With rising user expectations for fast digital experiences, managing perceived waiting times has become critical, particularly on mobile devices where multitasking options are limited. While prior research has focused on passive and progress-based loading screens, little attention has been given to the role of gamification in virtual queue contexts.

An experimental study was conducted with 33 participants, divided into three groups, each exposed to a different loading screen prototype during a simulated tickets-purchase task in a mobile application. Quantitative data were collected through actual and perceived waiting times, analyzed via ANCOVA. Qualitative data from post-test interviews were examined using inductive content analysis.

The ANCOVA results showed that actual waiting time had a significant effect on perceived waiting time (p<0.001), while loading screen type did not (p=0.992). However, participants exposed to the gamified prototype waited significantly longer on average, suggesting increased engagement. The qualitative analysis revealed four key themes: emotions response, behaviour during waiting, loading screen expectations, and trust in the system. Participants described gamified screens as more enjoyable but expressed frustration when system feedback was unclear.

This study concludes that while gamification did not significantly reduce perceived waiting time (PT), it was effective in sustaining user engagement during wait duration, but users’ emotional and behavioral responses are sharpened by design elements, and clarity in the interface. These results contribute to the existing research by showing that combining interactivity with clear system feedback is essential to improving the mobile waiting experience and can inform more effective UI/UX strategies for virtual queue design.