Gadgetbridge is a free open-source smartwatch app for Android.1 It pairs supported watches, bands and other Bluetooth gadgets without the maker’s own app, and without an account that sends your activity to that company’s servers.16 The standard build does not request Android’s internet permission, so it cannot connect to the internet or forward what the gadget records.2
Last checked October 28, 2026.
At a glance
- What it is: A free, open-source Android companion for supported watches, bands and other Bluetooth gadgets.1
- Works on: Android 6.0 and newer. There is no iPhone, iPad, Windows or Linux version.54
- Price: Free.1
- Licence: GNU Affero General Public License, version 3 only (AGPLv3).5
- Best for: Android users whose gadget is on the supported list and who want the readings kept on the phone.
- Official site: gadgetbridge.org
What Gadgetbridge does (and how it protects your privacy)
Gadgetbridge is a companion app: the program on the phone, not a replacement for the software inside the watch. The project describes it as an Android app for bands, watches, ear buds, multimeters and other gadgets, used without an account and without sending your data to the vendor’s servers.46
A phone app can use the internet only if it requests that permission. The project says the standard build does not request INTERNET and will not add it, so it cannot connect and has no means of sending what it reads.24
The project documents 666 models from 92 vendors.3 A similar unsupported model may still work.3 One hundred work only partly, so some functions still need the vendor app.3 Some devices are unfinished, and some may have no maintainer.3
Key features of Gadgetbridge
- Wrist notifications: On a supported device, phone alerts can show on the gadget.5
- Sensor history: The app can collect data from the gadget’s sensors. Which readings appear depends on the model.5
- Music controls: A supported gadget can control music playing on the Android phone.5
- Weather from another app: A supported gadget can show the weather. Gadgetbridge will not fetch it, because that needs a network permission, so a separate weather app supplies it.45
- Turn-by-turn directions: Instructions can come from OsmAnd or CoMaps, which you switch on in settings.8
- Optional internet, in a second app: The Internet Helper, added in early 2026, can open the Bangle.js and Pebble app stores, update Pebble apps, and let a watch app go online. Without it, Gadgetbridge stays offline.2
- Public source: The app is under the AGPLv3, and the source is hosted on Codeberg.6
Gadgetbridge pros and cons
Pros
- It is free, with no account and no sending of your data to the vendor’s servers.16
- The standard build cannot open an internet connection, and the optional helper stays off unless you allow it.2
- F-Droid’s suggested build is 0.95.1, added on 12 October 2026, and Codeberg showed a commit on 27 October 2026.56
- Directions on a supported watch can come from OsmAnd or CoMaps.8
Cons
- It needs Android 6.0 or newer. The project says a port to other systems is very unlikely.54
- One hundred models work only partly, so some tasks still need the vendor app. Some devices are unfinished or have no maintainer.3
- Some gadgets use an encrypted link and will not pair until you supply a key. That usually means one pairing in the official app, then copying the key from the vendor’s servers.7
- It is a phone app, not new software inside the watch. The project says it does not know how that proprietary firmware works.47
- The F-Droid listing still asks for precise location, background location, contacts, calendar, SMS and answering calls.5
- The Bangle.js build on Google Play can use the internet without the helper. Nightly builds may be less stable than the standard release.21
Is Gadgetbridge safe and private?
Freeyourgadget develops the app, which is the author name on F-Droid. The Codeberg core team is Andreas Shimokawa, Daniele Gobbetti, José Rebelo and Arjan Schrijver. The README calls it a community project, people contribute in their free time, and the file list showed a commit on 27 October 2026.56
The project says the missing INTERNET permission stops gadget data being forwarded to a remote server.2 The F-Droid page for 0.95.1 also lists nodomain.freeyourgadget.internethelper.INTERNET.5 The project says the helper does not send data to a vendor’s cloud or to big tech companies, and that this access stays optional and off by default.52 F-Droid publishes two copies of 0.95.1: one signed by F-Droid and one signed by the developer. Both are described as corresponding to the published source.5
Some watches need a shared key before the link is encrypted. The project says it usually cannot create that key, because the firmware is proprietary, so you usually pair once in the maker’s app and take the key from the maker’s servers.7 The app still asks to read location, contacts, calendar and SMS, and to answer calls.5 It has to read that information to show it on the wrist, and the project says it still has no means of sending the data on.4
How to get started with Gadgetbridge
- Look up your model on the Gadgets list. If it needs an authentication key, get that key before you remove the maker’s app.37
- Install the F-Droid app, then install Gadgetbridge from its F-Droid page. F-Droid recommends the client, because a direct download will not tell you about updates. The suggested release is 0.95.1, added on 12 October 2026, for Android 6.0 or newer.5
- Leave the Internet Helper uninstalled unless you want watch-app downloads or watch-app internet. Without it, the standard app stays offline.2
- If the gadget does not need a key, unpair it in Bluetooth settings and uninstall the vendor app before you add it. The pairing guide recommends that order.7
- Open Gadgetbridge and allow the permissions you want. It asks for many because it must read information before showing it on the wrist.4
- Tap Add, then Start discovery, and tap your gadget. Enter a key if the screen says KEY REQUIRED. If the watch asks for the official app and Gadgetbridge does not ask for a key, you can ignore that watch screen.7
- For directions on a supported watch, install CoMaps or OsmAnd and enable that app in Gadgetbridge’s navigation settings.8
Who should use Gadgetbridge (and who might prefer something else)
Gadgetbridge fits an Android phone and a gadget on the supported list, when you want sensor readings and alerts kept on the phone. Check the model before you remove the maker’s app. CoMaps and OsmAnd can supply directions on a watch that supports them.8
If the model is missing or only partly supported, the maker’s app covers the gaps. Some settings still have to be done there.3 If you keep that app and want to choose which phone apps may go online, use NetGuard. There is no Gadgetbridge for iPhone, iPad, Windows or Linux. The project says a port is very unlikely, and that it knows of no equivalent, though some device-specific open-source tools exist for Linux.4
Frequently asked questions
Is Gadgetbridge free?
Yes. It is a free open-source Android app under the AGPLv3, and the standard build does not ask for an account.156
Is Gadgetbridge safe?
The standard build has no Android internet permission, so the project says it cannot send gadget data to a remote server.2 F-Droid says 0.95.1 corresponds to the source tarball.5 Some models need one pairing in the maker’s app to copy a key, and the Bangle.js Play build can go online without the helper.72
Does Gadgetbridge work on iPhone?
No. It is Android-only. The project says a version for iPhone, iPad, Windows or Linux is very unlikely.4
Does Gadgetbridge work with every smartwatch?
No. Of 666 documented models from 92 vendors, 100 work only partly and nine can be paired with no features yet.3 Check your model first.
