India is Glancing: Over 235 million active users explore trending content and experiences on their Glance smart lock screens
Glance, the Smart Lock Screen platforms, has released the Glance Smart lock screen trends report India 2024, which highlights a significant shift in user engagement with digital content. The report finds that the rise of ‘glancing’ has emerged as a phenomenon for discovering personalised content and experiences on Smart Lock Screen. This trend, observed among 235 million active users on the platform, offers a fresh approach to content consumption compared to traditional app-based browsing. It effectively tackles issues such as information overload, irrelevant content, and app fatigue.
Text Box Since its inception in 2019, Glance has revolutionised content discovery for hundreds of millions of users, by providing personalised content on their smart lock screen. The report highlights that users across the board are increasingly turning to their Glance Smart Lock Screen to get LIVE updates of major premium events, for which television used to be a preferred medium not long ago. For instance, from IPL and Cricket World Cup to FIFA WC Qualifiers, Men’s Kabaddi, and Women’s Cricket, Glance Smart Lock Screen provided real-time updates to millions of sports lovers through 2023. During the IPL and Cricket World Cup alone, the live score widget provided on the Glance Lock Screen attracted an impressive 3.5 million daily active users (DAUs). Similarly, Glance also presented exclusive content and LIVE shows on the iconic reality TV show, Bigg Boss Season 17, generating 6 billion glances throughout the season.
The report highlights another compelling trend, which is the active pursuit and engagement of users with content in their preferred languages. Content served in regional languages received nearly 550 million ‘glances’ from users daily. Notably, among the top 25 content pieces in the last year, 10 were regionally centered on subjects like news, movies, and local topics. Users tapped into regional language content almost twice as much as English content, underscoring the growing demand for personalised linguistic experiences.
Regarding user consumption, the top three content categories were national news, sports, and entertainment, accounting for 19%, 18%, and 16% respectively. National events like G20 and Chandrayaan served 4 billion and 2 billion glances respectively, emphasising that the country’s advancement on the global stage generates great enthusiasm among Indian users.
The report found that 55% of the users who accessed content on their mobile lock screens were from tier-1 cities while tier-II and III cities are also fast catching up with 45% share. In terms of demographics, ‘glancing’ as a phenomenon has spread to different age groups though it’s heavily tilted towards users in the age group of 24 and below with a share of 47%. In terms of gender, the male population is more inclined to discover and consume content on their Smart Lock Screens than females, with a ratio of 61:39, the report found.
Bikash Chowdhury, Chief Marketing Officer, Glance, said, “With over 235 million Indians engaging with content and internet experiences through their Smart Lock Screens, Glance is uniquely positioned to understand the pulse of the users across the nation. Our Glance Smart Lock Screen Trends Report India 2024 captures these distinctive user habits, throwing light on this dynamic space and showcasing how Glance enriches every moment of their lives. As we progress, we remain dedicated to delivering intuitive experiences that align with our users’ discernment, intelligence, and foresight, ultimately enhancing the broader ecosystem.”
Glance empowers the entire ecosystem including advertisers, brands, and developers, by providing them with a user-friendly, relevant, and premium Lock Screen surface. This offers them a unique opportunity to enhance consumer engagement on devices through innovative experiences. These experiences not only promote content consumption but also encourage active participation, enabling users to explore new destinations via Glance. Over the past year, Glance has collaborated with more than 300 advertisers, brands, and developers, facilitating connections with their audiences nationwide.
Vasuta Agarwal, Chief Business Officer, InMobi Group said, “With India’s shift to a mobile-first market, consumer interaction dynamics are rapidly evolving. Users seek seamless experiences, valuing instant access to information, services, and entertainment even before unlocking their smartphones. This transformation highlights the lock screen’s newfound significance as a dynamic platform for brands and advertisers to engage meaningfully with consumers.”
With over 80% surge in content consumption, navigating in today’s information-heavy world becomes a daunting task. The typical smartphone experience involves switching between countless apps, resulting in user fatigue and a staggering 75% drop off within the first day for most apps. Glance, an AI-driven platform, aims to change this landscape. Operating directly on Android lock screens across 20+ content categories (such as news, sports, instant games, entertainment, fashion, and more), Glance offers easy, relevant, premium content and experiences on Smart Lock Screens. Glance achieves this without users needing to unlock their phones or download multiple apps or spend time searching for content.
