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Blindbandit Mobile

About Blindbandit Mobile

Blindbandit Mobile is the social and communications service of mrblindbandit.net. It is operated by Kaeleb Savon Heck, who records as Mr. Blindbandit, in connection with his independent label, Blindbandit Records. This page explains why it exists, who runs it, how it is built and which principles guide it. For a quick tour of the features and download links, start at the Blindbandit Mobile overview.

Why it was built

Kaeleb was born completely blind with Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), an inherited retinal disorder. He writes, produces and releases music using screen readers, keyboard commands and audio feedback rather than visual waveforms. Many social and calling apps technically work with a screen reader but are tiring to use: unlabeled buttons, focus that jumps around, and alerts that are only visual.

Blindbandit Mobile started from the opposite direction. It is a community space where posts, messages and calls are meant to work with keyboards and screen readers, not only with touch and sight, and where the people who follow an independent, blind-owned label can talk to the artist's official account and to each other. It replaced the website's older fan board so that the community, direct messages and calls share one account.

Who operates it

The service is run by Kaeleb Savon Heck (Mr. Blindbandit) with Blindbandit Records, a small, artist-led label based in Davao del Norte, Philippines. It is not a large company, and it is not affiliated with Google, Apple or any streaming service. The verified @mrblindbandit profile is the official account for the artist and the label.

Official contact routes are listed in the contact directory. Product and account help goes to support@mrblindbandit.net; business, licensing and press go to business@mrblindbandit.net.

Two ways to use it, one account

The web version

The web version lives at mrblindbandit.net/mobile/ and works in a browser without installing anything. It includes the newsfeed, profiles with followers and following, comments and reactions, bookmarks, drafts, a notification inbox, stories, BanditBites short videos, direct messages, voice and video calls, and reporting, blocking, muting and moderation appeals.

The native app

The native app, Mr. BlindBandit Mobile, is free on Google Play for Android 8 and newer. It is written in Kotlin with Jetpack Compose on Android, and the iPhone version, which is not yet on the App Store, is written in SwiftUI. Alongside the community features, the app adds native calls and messages, push notifications, a reader for The Blindbandit Chronicle, a Listen hub with links to official streaming profiles, and a set of music creator tools.

The principles behind it

The app's project documentation sets out five principles, and they explain most of its design decisions:

  1. Accessibility is architecture. TalkBack and VoiceOver support are release requirements, not extras. Controls carry labels and headings, loading and error states are announced, and call controls are accessible.
  2. Creators should be able to work from a phone. Tools for tempo, notes, release planning and royalty splits run on the device, so an independent musician does not need a desktop for everyday tasks.
  3. Mobile apps can be inspected, so secrets stay on the server. The app contains only public identifiers. Reusable keys for sign-in, calling and notifications are never built into it.
  4. Communications are authenticated. Calls and messages use your active sign-in session and the Blindbandit API. For a call, the server issues a short-lived LiveKit pass after checking who you are.
  5. Web content stays bounded. Only approved, secure first-party addresses such as mrblindbandit.net open inside the app's built-in browser. Other links open outside it.

Accounts and sign-in

Accounts use Clerk, the same sign-in used across mrblindbandit.net. You can sign up with Google or with an email address and a one-time verification code. Your password and multi-factor settings are managed by Clerk; Blindbandit Mobile never asks for your password in a post or message. Creating a Mobile account does not subscribe you to the mailing list, and the private label portal used for client statements and contracts is separate.

You can delete your account at any time from Settings in the app, or request deletion on the web at mrblindbandit.net/account.

How the app has developed

The native app's public change log runs from version 1.0 in September 2026. Version 1.6 moved sign-in and communications to production services: Clerk sessions, server-issued LiveKit call passes, server-backed messages and in-app account deletion. Version 1.7 restored calls and messages on both platforms, added Report and Block to every conversation, introduced a full Settings screen covering accessibility, audio, appearance, privacy and legal information, and changed permissions so they are requested in context rather than all at launch. Version 1.7.1 was the first upload to Google Play in October 2026.

Getting started

  1. Read the Community Guidelines and the Trust & Safety page so you know what is welcome.
  2. Create a free account and choose a display name you are comfortable making public.
  3. Add a short bio, then follow the verified @mrblindbandit profile.
  4. Check settings to choose who can message you, and turn on notifications only if you want them.
  5. Share your first post, and add an image description to any image you upload.

The Mobile Privacy notice explains what information the service handles. Policies are also collected in the Legal and Trust Center.

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