Off

What the app does

Off is the smallest app we make. It puts an icon on your home screen, and that's all you will ever see of it: there are no screens, menus or settings. Tap the icon and your phone turns off its screen and locks immediately.

We built Off to quickly lock the phone so that the next unlock needs your PIN code — not your fingerprint or face. That's useful when you hand over your phone, put it down in a public place, or simply want to be sure nobody can unlock it with your finger or face. On our own Android phones it works exactly like that.

Highlights

• One tap: screen off and locked, without pressing the power button
• No screens and nothing to set up after the first tap
• No permissions at all, no internet, nothing in the background
• Tiny: the whole app is about 25 KB

Download

Why Off isn't on the Google Play Store

Google currently enforces highly demanding and complex requirements to publish new apps (such as mandatory closed testing phases with at least 20 people for 14 days, rigorous identity verification, and heavy administrative overhead). Because we build apps purely for our own enjoyment and want to keep it simple, we prefer to share the app with you directly.

How to Install the App

How to install an APK directly on your phone

1. Tap the download button above and wait for off.apk to finish downloading.
2. Open the file (via your notification shade or the Files app).
3. Android will ask permission to install unknown apps. Tap Settings and enable "Allow from this source" for your browser or file manager.
4. Go back and tap Install.
5. Open Off when installation completes.

Installing apps from outside the Play Store is a normal Android feature. You can turn the "unknown sources" permission back off afterwards if you prefer.

How to install an APK via your computer

The cleanest, safest, and most secure way to install an APK file—without modifying your phone's mobile security settings or enabling "Unknown Sources"—is via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) from your computer. This is an official command-line utility supplied by Google for Android developers.

Step 1: Download ADB on your computer (The fastest way)

You do not need to install the massive Android Studio suite. Google provides a lightweight, standalone package called Platform-Tools.

• Windows: Download the official Android SDK Platform-Tools for Windows.
• Mac / Linux: Download the zip package above or install it instantly via your terminal line:
  • Mac (via Homebrew): Run brew install android-platform-tools
  • Linux (Ubuntu/Debian): Run sudo apt install adb

Note: If you downloaded the ZIP file (Windows/Mac), extract it into an easy-to-reach directory, such as C:\platform-tools or your Desktop.

Step 2: Prepare your Android phone

1. Open the Settings app on your phone.
2. Go to About phone (or System > About).
3. Tap Build number 7 times rapidly until a notification pop-up says: "You are now a developer!".
4. Return to the main Settings menu, open the new Developer options panel, and turn on USB debugging.

Step 3: Install the APK file

1. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
2. Look at your phone's screen: a prompt will ask "Allow USB debugging?". Check the option for “Always allow from this computer” and tap Allow.
3. Move your downloaded APK file directly into the folder where you extracted the platform-tools files.
4. Open Command Prompt (CMD) on Windows or Terminal on Mac/Linux, and change directories to that folder (e.g., on Windows, type: cd C:\platform-tools).
5. Run this command to verify your computer properly detects your device:

   adb devices

   (If you see a serial number followed by the word 'device', you are connected successfully!)
6. Run the installation script command:

   adb install off.apk

When the terminal returns a Success message, the app is fully installed on your device and ready to launch!

User manual

1. First tap: allow Off to lock the screen

After installing, tap the Off icon once. A short message appears and Android opens the "Activate device admin app" screen. Off only asks for one ability there: lock the screen. Tap Activate (or Allow). You only need to do this once.

2. Lock your phone

From now on, tap Off and the screen turns off and the phone locks immediately. Tip: put the icon in your dock or on your first home screen so it's always one tap away.

3. Unlock

Unlock your phone as usual. On our phones, the first unlock after Off asks for your PIN code; after that, fingerprint and face unlock work normally again. Your phone may behave differently (see the note above).

4. Remove the app

Because Off is a device admin app, Android won't let you uninstall it right away. First turn off its admin access in Settings › Security › Device admin apps › Off (the exact place differs per phone; search Settings for "device admin"), then uninstall it as usual.

Permissions this app requests

We believe in being transparent about every permission. Off declares no permissions at all.

Privacy & cost — in plain terms

• No data at all. Off stores nothing and has no internet access, so it can't send anything anywhere.
• No cookies, no tracking. This website sets none either.
• Nothing runs in the background. No battery or data use when you're not tapping it.
• No payment, ever. The app is completely free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.

Cloud backup and device transfer are disabled. For the full statement, see Privacy & Disclaimer.

Responsible use & your responsibility

Off is a hobby project. It is a convenience, not a security guarantee: whether biometrics are disabled for the next unlock is decided by your phone, not by the app. Make sure you know your PIN code before relying on Off — if you forget it, you may not be able to unlock your phone without resetting it.

The app is provided "as is", for learning and experimentation, without any warranty. Please read the full Privacy Statement & Disclaimer before use — by installing or using the app you accept those terms.

Have a question? Contact us →