Introduction: Digital transformation has shifted rehabilitation toward hybrid care models where smartphone applications are used as adjunct tools to support monitoring, exercise delivery, engagement, and self-management in physical therapy. Material and method: This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines and included a comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published between 2021 and 2026 using predefined rehabilitation-related keywords. Strict eligibility criteria, structured study selection, and standardized data extraction were applied, and findings were synthesized narratively due to heterogeneity across interventions, populations, and outcomes. Results: The PRISMA-based selection process identified 15 eligible studies from an initial 215 records, encompassing diverse study designs and clinical populations across musculoskeletal, neurological, orthopaedic, rheumatologic, and geriatric rehabilitation. The included studies evaluated smartphone-based interventions, including exercise prescription applications, telerehabilitation platforms, and digital adherence tools, reporting clinical, behavioural, and implementation-related outcomes. Interventions were classified into four categories: exercise prescription applications, telerehabilitation and monitoring systems, behavioural adherence tools, and self-management or educational platforms. Overall, studies reported improvements in physical activity, functional outcomes, pain, and adherence, while neurological and geriatric populations were predominantly evaluated through feasibility and usability outcomes. Discussion: Smartphone-based applications are increasingly integrated as adjunct tools in physical therapy rehabilitation across diverse clinical populations. Their primary benefits relate to improved adherence, engagement, and continuity of care, with the strongest clinical effects reported in musculoskeletal and postoperative rehabilitation, whereas neurological and geriatric applications remain mainly focused on feasibility and usability outcomes. Conclusions: Smartphone-based applications represent a promising adjunct in physical therapy rehabilitation, with effects mainly mediated through behavioural mechanisms that improve adherence, engagement, and continuity of care. Evidence suggests more consistent clinical benefits in musculoskeletal and postoperative populations, whereas neurological and geriatric studies predominantly report feasibility and usability outcomes, reflecting the need for stronger evidence on long-term effectiveness.

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