Your Android phone may soon display ads and other content on its lock screen thanks to a company called Glance.
The Google-backed lock screen content company is expanding into the US after success in India, Southeast Asia, and Japan. As part of its expansion into the US, Glance is working with Motorola and Verizon, and reportedly intending to partner with brands like CNN and the NBA, to provide lock screen content.
Glance’s widget showcases a dynamic rotation of ads, sponsored content, and customizable feeds of news, local events, and sports on your phone’s lock screen. Additionally, the company offers similar widgets for your home screen and folders.
Glance’s lock screen ads widget is currently pre-installed on the Moto G 5G and Moto G Power 5G and is expected to be added to more phones.
According to a TechCrunch report, Glance has been pre-installed on over 450 million smartphones and boasts more than 300 million active users. While TechCrunch says a source claims that Glance doesn’t intend to show ads on the lock screen in the US, given the significant number of active users, some speculate it’s only a matter of time before they make their way onto lock screens stateside.
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Glance is reportedly working with Qualcomm to develop an AI-driven lock screen experience on the device. Glance claims the AI lock screen experience will be different from the current iteration seen on entry-level devices but didn’t specify what those differences would be.
The appearance of ads in this space is significant because, for most of us, our lock screens are often the first thing we see when we pick up our phones. It’s where we start tapping and what we idly mess with when not directly using the phone.
Ads appearing on phone lock screens and within your phone’s software are rare in the West. However, they are more common on phones in Asia, including budget phones from manufacturers like Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Samsung. Meanwhile, ads on Kindle and Fire Tablets are more expected.
However, if Glance intends to put ads on Western Android phones, it could face pushback from users who may consider their lock screen a personal space reserved for practical tools like note-taking, notifications, and personal photos.
The Windows 11 ads
There are also parallels between the lock screen ads and the controversial addition of ads to Windows 11. Microsoft calls these ads “recommendations,” and they are placed on the Settings home page and the Start menu.
The ads in Windows have been compared to turning your personal workspace into a billboard, which can feel like a violation of your space and a cash grab from the computing giant. While Microsoft highlights its products in its Windows ads, Glance exclusively shows third-party content.
For now, both ads in Windows and Android are elective and can be turned off. The Glance pre-installed app can also be removed or disabled if users find the ads too invasive.
However, both of these new ad sources could be part of a broader trend of companies using new ad placements where we haven’t seen them before and in more personal spaces.
Budget phones with built-in ads could become more common as smartphone manufacturers look for new revenue avenues beyond original phone sales. In theory, this could lead to better-quality devices at a more affordable price, offsetting costs by including ads and sponsored content like we currently see with the Amazon Fire Tablet.
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