Glance, a Google-backed Indian startup known for its smartphone lockscreen platform, is stepping up efforts to enter the US market after a recent pilot with Verizon and Motorola.
Glance delivers tailored content directly on the lock screen—news, local events, sports updates, media, and interactive mini-games—without requiring users to install additional apps. Having already achieved strong penetration across India, Southeast Asia, and Japan, the company is now focused on gaining traction in the competitive US market.
A central selling point for Glance is its privacy-focused approach. The company says it does not collect personal user data; instead, it relies on aggregated usage patterns to power its recommendation engine. In partnership with Qualcomm, Glance is developing an AI-powered lockscreen that shifts more processing to the device itself, which could reduce the amount of data transmitted to Glance for personalization.
Rather than monetizing through traditional lockscreen ads, Glance plans to avoid showing advertisements on the platform. The app typically comes pre-installed on participating devices but can be removed by users. This strategy aligns with a broader trend among smartphone makers that view non-app screens as valuable real estate for engaging users without forcing app installs.
Today Glance’s platform reaches over 450 million smartphones worldwide and is actively used on roughly 300 million devices. To expand its US footprint, the company intends to partner with additional telecom operators and prominent content brands such as CNN and the NBA, aiming to build local relevance and drive adoption.
Even without in-lockscreen advertising, Glance has demonstrated effectiveness through brand partnerships. For example, a nine-week promotion with Indian streaming service JioCinema delivered nine million incremental app installs from more than 100 million unique impressions. Glance’s lockscreen experience helped increase user engagement and convert reach into daily active users during that campaign.
Backed by investors including Google and Jio Platforms, Glance combines a focus on privacy, on-device AI, and strategic content partnerships to position itself uniquely in new markets. Its approach aims to balance user control with persistent, relevant content exposure—an offering that could find an audience among US device makers and carriers seeking differentiated lockscreen experiences.
(Image Credit: Glance)
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