At App Dev for All, we believe that that opportunity should travel as readily and seamlessly as a phone. Not everyone has fast broadband. Not every community has a reliable signal. But a surprising number of people have Android phones.
The power of an “offline internet”
For over a decade, IIAB has provided software that turns any Raspberry Pi or Linux-based computer into a local knowledge server, hosting IIAB has traditionally required dedicated hardware. Through our collaboration, we’re working with IIAB to deliver high-quality offline content on the most common computer on earth: Android phones and tablets. (As of early 2026, Android OS devices have surpassed even Windows OS devices, now representing over almost 36% of all computing devices in use worldwide.)
With IBA, any older Android phone you may have sitting unused in a drawer can be turned into a Wi-Fi server, becoming a portable offline library and learning tool for nearby students, families, and others. Repurposing these existing devices helps lower the cost and burden of purchasing more expensive new hardware.
The implications are surprisingly powerful. A community center with unreliable connectivity could host a library of educational resources using a single phone. A classroom could provide access to textbooks without relying on bandwidth. A field team could carry a portable reference library wherever they work.
Expanding access to knowledge and new application development
The IBA we demonstrated at SCALE 23x is just a beginning. As IBA is deployed in the field, we plan to streamline installation, improve usability, and expand support for more types of offline content. Our broader goal is to make IBA simple enough for anyone to deploy, anywhere and under any local bandwidth (or lack thereof) or other constraints. Access to knowledge has historically been a powerful catalyst for opportunity.
By connecting offline knowledge libraries with a phone-based development environment, Code on the Go with IBA explores a simple but meaningful idea: the same device that delivers knowledge can also empower people to build new tools for their communities. And more and more, that device is already in their pocket. That is, your pocket.
