Google-backed Glance is testing Android lockscreen platform in the US

Glance, which operates a lockscreen platform targeting Android smartphones, is setting its sights on the US market. The Indian startup recently started a pilot program in partnership with Motorola and Verizon in the US, with plans for a full launch in the country later this year, sources familiar with the matter told JS.

The Bengaluru-headquartered startup, backed by investors like Google and Jio Platforms, has already made significant progress in India, Southeast Asia and Japan, where it expanded last year. Glance technology delivers a customized feed of news, local events, sports updates, media content and interactive games directly to users’ lock screens without requiring them to install additional apps.

Android smartphone makers have faced increasing pressure to increase sales in recent years amid fierce competition and tight profit margins on hardware. Initially, many of these companies looked for new sources of revenue to complement their core businesses. However, as Glance’s lockscreen platform gained popularity, coupled with its privacy policy, a growing number of smartphone makers have recognized its potential as a powerful tool for differentiation, industry executives say.

Glance does not collect personal data from users, but instead relies on usage patterns to inform its recommendation engine. According to one source, it is also working with Qualcomm to build a unique AI-powered lockscreen experience. If this partnership becomes a reality, Glance will also be able to significantly reduce the data it consumes for its personalized feed and move much of the processing to the device.

In the US, Glance does not plan to show ads on the lock screen, according to one of the sources. Glance comes pre-installed on the device, but can be easily removed.

Lockscreen and other non-app screens are becoming crucial real estate for smartphone vendors and brands. “Surfaces exist even today, driven by three types of players: OEM-driven, OS-driven, and surface-first innovation-driven,” BCG wrote in a recent industry report. “Players like Glance are the most interesting when it comes to innovation in the field of AI being used to deliver relevant content to a user every time.”

Glance’s lockscreen platform today reaches more than 450 million smartphones and is active on about 300 million of them, according to a person familiar with the matter.

In the US, the eponymous startup plans to partner with more telecom operators and brands, including CNN and the NBA, sources said, requesting anonymity because the details are private. The recently launched Moto G Power smartphone in the US comes with the Glance platform. A spokesperson for Glance declined to comment.

Glance has been eyeing a US launch for at least two years, JS previously reported. It’s not clear why it wasn’t launched in the US sooner.

The Indian startup’s lockscreen technology has already proven successful in driving user engagement and app installs for brand partners. A nine-week partnership with Indian streaming service JioCinema resulted in 9 million incremental app installs from more than 100 million unique impressions last year, BCG wrote. The campaign also targeted dormant users, leading to a 12.5% ​​increase in app opens and converting the install base to daily active users, the report said.