Through the looking glass: It seems as if ads have become an inescapable part of technology. In recent years, they have appeared within full-priced video games and on messaging apps, smart home devices, refrigerator doors, and even toilet paper dispensers. Now, they are coming for smartphone lock screens.
Nothing recently began testing lock screen ads in the Nothing OS 4.0 open beta. Although the company claims that it needs the revenue to survive as a small player in the highly competitive smartphone market, it is easy to see the change as the start of a slippery slope.
Beta participants will see a new feature called Lock Glimpse, which displays app recommendations and other information while shuffling pre-selected wallpapers. Nothing stresses that the feature will not share personal data and that users can deactivate it in the Settings menu. On the recently unveiled entry-level Nothing Phone 3a, Lock Glimpse is opt-in. Another feature will display a curated selection of recommended apps upon initial setup.
Furthermore, Nothing is attempting to secure a software-based revenue stream by shipping the 3a and other non-flagship phones with pre-installed apps. In all regions except Japan, these include Facebook and Instagram, while the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Japan receive TikTok. Pre-installed apps experience slightly smoother performance, and the company advised Instagram and Facebook users against deleting the Meta App Installer to ensure smooth updates.
Numerous Android app developers and phone providers have attempted to serve ads on lock screens over the years. Amazon allowed them on discounted Moto G phones in 2016, and Google banned many Play Store apps from displaying lock screen ads the following year. Lock screen ad platform Glance has reached hundreds of millions of phones in Asian countries in recent years, and began expanding into the US market last year.
The trend follows other recent attempts by advertisers to place ads wherever viewers will see them. Streaming services started increasing the number of ads they show this year, while Roku and DirecTV plan to introduce AI-generated ads.
Samsung recently drew criticism for displaying ads on a refrigerator door screen, Amazon allegedly intensified advertising efforts on Echo Show smart devices, and Apple might soon begin showing ads on its Maps app. However, the most unusual recent deployment of ads occurred in Chinese bathrooms, where authorities believe locking toilet paper behind viewing ads will minimize waste.