A Show HN post published on 12.11.2026 introduced Senku, an AI agent for Android that can control a user's phone and carry out tasks in the background. The app is distributed directly as an APK from the project's website rather than through Google Play.
According to the developer, Senku can use apps on the phone on the user's behalf. Examples given include finding chocolates on Blinkit and asking the user for confirmation before paying, and opening WhatsApp, locating a named chat and sending a message dictated by the user.
A feature called circle anything lets the user tap a pen tool, draw an outline around content on the screen and ask a question about it aloud; the developer says Senku only sees what falls inside the drawn outline. Related capabilities include marking a few lines of a page to identify the book and its author, and a mode in which the agent first works out what the highlighted object is and then answers the question the user actually wanted answered.
Suggested prompts on the site include "order 1kg oats from blinkit and send it home", "navigate to the nearest store", "is this a good choice?", "tell mom i'm running 10 minutes late", "find a quiet café nearby and open directions", "compare the reviews of the top 3 earbuds on amazon", "play something calm" and "turn on dark mode".
On privacy, the developer states that Senku only looks at the screen when the user circles something or assigns a task, and that during a task it only sees the app it is working in. The company says it does not store screenshots or any screen data, keeping only a count of actions used. During tasks, the agent relies on Android's accessibility tree to read interface elements and perform actions.
Tasks run in the background on what the developer describes as a hidden screen, so the user can keep scrolling, texting or watching content. A small live preview next to the app's floating orb shows what the agent is doing, and the user can pause or stop it at any time. Senku asks for user input when needed, for example a fingerprint to authorize a payment.
The app requires four Android permissions: display over other apps so the orb can float above other content, microphone access for voice commands, accessibility access so it can read interface elements and tap on the user's behalf, and wireless debugging so it can run tasks in the background. The developer says the accessibility service requirement is the reason Senku is not on Google Play, citing the store's strict rules for apps that use it.
Senku is free to start, with a Pro tier at $20 per month and a Max tier at $100 per month. iOS is not yet supported; the site offers a waitlist that notifies subscribers by email when an iPhone version is ready.