WaveUp

Android App Analysis and Review: WaveUp, Developed by juanitobananas. Listed in Tools Category. Current Version Is 3.2.22, Updated On 05/04/2025 . According to users reviews on Google Play: WaveUp. Achieved Over 3 million Installs. WaveUp Currently Has 14 thousand Reviews, Average Rating 4.2 Stars

WaveUp wakes up your phone—switches the screen on—when you wave over the proximity sensor.

I built this app because I got tired of pressing the power button just to check the time (a surprisingly frequent habit). Inspired by the great Gravity Screen On/Off. I looked for an open-source alternative and just couldn’t find one. So I made it myself!
Checkout the code: https://gitlab.com/juanitobananas/wave-up
A possibly more more up-to-date README: https://gitlab.com/juanitobananas/wave-up/#waveup

Features

▸ Wave mode: Turns the screen on when you wave over the proximity sensor.
▸ Pocket mode: Turns the screen on when you pull your phone out of a pocket or bag.

Both are enabled by default but can be turned off in settings.

▸ Screen lock: cover the sensor for a second (or your chosen time) and the phone locks. Off by default, but easy to enable.

Wait, what's a proximity sensor?
It’s that invisible little thing near your phone’s earpiece that turns off the screen when you’re on a call.

Known Issues
Some phones keep the CPU running while listening to the proximity sensor and this drains battery (blame your phone, not me). Most phones don’t, so battery use is minimal.

Accessibility Services

▸ Purpose: Used to lock the screen on Android 9+
▸ Privacy: Used only for this, no data collected
▸ Scope: Doesn’t spy, just locks

Permissions (yep, quite a few)

▸ WAKE_LOCK – turn on the screen
▸ RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED – auto-start on boot
▸ READ_PHONE_STATE – pause during calls
▸ BLUETOOTH / CONNECT – avoid pausing when on a Bluetooth call
▸ IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS etc. – stay alive in the background
▸ FORCE_LOCK – lock device (Android 8 and below)
▸ ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE – lock device (Android 9+)
▸ DELETE_PACKAGES – let the app uninstall itself if needed

Uninstalling (Android 8 and older)
WaveUp uses Device Admin permissions, so it won’t uninstall the usual way. Use the 'Uninstall WaveUp' button in the app to remove it properly.

Fun fact

This is my first Android app and my first open-source contribution! I'd love your feedback or help—especially if you're into translations or just enjoy tinkering.
Open source rocks!

Translations

Help translate WaveUp! Even the English version could use improvements.
https://www.transifex.com/juanitobananas/waveup/
https://www.transifex.com/juanitobananas/libcommon/

Acknowledgments
Thanks to all who contributed: https://gitlab.com/juanitobananas/wave-up/#acknowledgments