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Glance

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Contents12
  1. Consumer impact summary
  2. User freedom
  3. User privacy
  4. Business model
  5. Market control
  6. Incidents
  7. Program cannot be uninstalled (2022—Present)
  8. AI-generated lock screen ads (2025)
  9. Parent company fined by FTC for privacy concerns (2016)
  10. Products
  11. See also
  12. References
Glance
Basic information
Founded 2019
Legal Structure Private
Industry Artificial intelligence software
Also known as
Official website https://glance.com/

Glance is an India-based software company. The company was co-founded in 2019 by Naveen Tewari (CEO), Abhay Singhal, Mohit Saxena, and Piyush Shah with their headquarters being in Bangalore. Glance is owned by InMobi, a multinational technology company.

Consumer impact summary

User freedom

  • Opt-Out Rootkit: Glance is pre-installed at the system level. Consumers lose their freedom to choose to use the app because the software is enabled by default. While a user technically can disable it, it often requires digging through multiple layers of settings which is very time consuming. Because the software cannot be fully deleted (only deactivated), once the software is updated it allows itself to undo all the settings and the user will have to disable all those settings again on an update.
  • The Portable Billboard: Glance effectively turns any phone into a portable billboard they cannot easily uninstall. Every time a person uses a phone, the first thing seen is their lock screen. Glance replaces the phone wake up experience by playing advertisements instead.
  • Arbitration: United States users agree to mandatory arbitration for all disputes,[1] including waiving class-action[2] and right to trial by jury.[3]

User privacy

  • Micro-Interaction Tracking: Glance doesn't just see what the user clicks; it tracks "micro-interactions". For example, how long a user looks at an image or news story. This data is used to build a behavioral profile of the user's interests.
  • Biometric Data (Glance AI): With the 2025 rollout of Glance AI, users are encouraged to upload selfies for virtual "try-ons." This introduces a new layer of sensitive data collection.[4][5]
  • Hashed Identifiers: Glance uses hashed device IDs and advertising tokens to track the user across different services.

Business model

  • One-Click Installs (OCI): A major revenue driver is their "app-less" experience. If the user sees an ad for a game on their lock screen, the user can "one-click" install it in the background without even unlocking their smart phone or visiting the Play Store.
  • Attention-as-a-Product: Their goal is to monetize "idle moments" — the few seconds a persons looks at their phone while waiting for coffee. By capturing those five-second windows thousands of times a day, they generate billions in value from "spare" attention.

Market control

  • Manufacturing Partners: Glance exerts market control by partnering directly with manufacturers (e.g. Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo). In exchange for a share of the ad revenue, these manufacturers pre-install Glance, giving the company a "gatekeeper" position that third-party apps (like Instagram or TikTok) can't reach without the user manually opening them.
  • Bypassing the App Store: By operating on the lock screen, Glance creates a "parallel internet." They can promote apps and products directly to the consumer, bypassing the traditional curation (and rules) of the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
  • Ecosystem Lock-in: Through sub-brands like Nostra and Roposo , they create a closed-loop ecosystem. Once the user is in the "Glance-verse," they might never feel the need to unlock their phone to find entertainment, further consolidating their control over the user's digital habits.

Incidents

Program cannot be uninstalled (2022—Present)

A quick search can find numerous Reddit threads[6][7] and reviews[8] calling Glance software bloatware, as well as articles written by Glance that attempt to deceive users looking for ways to uninstall Glance software.[citation needed (13 Oct 2026)] Once a user disables it from having access to all the lock screen settings (because Glance cannot be uninstalled if it came loaded onto a device) it will use the user's data to download the latest updates, undo all of the settings that have been changed by the user, and then on wake, send notifications and alerts to activate Glance. This currently happens on Samsung, Motorola, Oppo, and other mobile phones.

AI-generated lock screen ads (2025)

Samsung and Glance teamed up to deliver a new "AI shopping" experience that uses a selfie to create custom fashion ads.[4]

Parent company fined by FTC for privacy concerns (2016)

In 2016 InMobi, the Parent Company of Glance, was fined $950k in "civil penalties" for "deceptively [tracking] the locations of hundreds of millions of consumers – including children – without their knowledge or consent to serve them geo-targeted advertising"[9]

Products

  • Glance AI (Smart Lock Screen Interface)[4]
  • Roposo (2014, Acquired in 2019)
  • Nostra (Originally 'Glance Gaming', 2023)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "End User License Agreement". Glance. April 2026 [April 2023]. Section 16.1a. Archived from the original on 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  2. ↑ "End User License Agreement". Glance. April 2026 [April 2023]. Section 16.2(a). Archived from the original on 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  3. ↑ "End User License Agreement". Glance. April 2026 [April 2023]. Section 16.2(f). Archived from the original on 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Whitwam, Ryan (2025-06-04). "Samsung teams up with Glance to use your face in AI-generated lock screen ads". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  5. ↑ "Your Digital Pro: 2026's Top Virtual Stylist Tools". Glance. 2025-07-16. Archived from the original on 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  6. ↑ therandomopera (2024-03-06). "Remove Glance Permanently". Reddit. Archived from the original on 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  7. ↑ Abhinav_Pandey (2022-03-22). "This glance feature is driving me nuts. Plese tell me how do i disable it . sometimes i unlock my realme 7 and this comes up. i even checked the box which said do not remind again and now it still comes up without that box". Reddit. Archived from the original on 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  8. ↑ Diaz, Nickolas (2024-04-24). "Glance is coming to the US, whether we like it or not". Android Central. Archived from the original on 2025-05-25. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  9. ↑ "Mobile Advertising Network InMobi Settles FTC Charges It Tracked Hundreds of Millions of Consumers' Locations Without Permission". Federal Trade Commission. 2016-06-22. Archived from the original on 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
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