# Octopus Balance Reader

> The very first app to retrieve the balance of the HK Octopus Card since 2011

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/com.hklight.octopusreader](https://chrome-stats.com/d/com.hklight.octopusreader)

## Overview

- **ID:** `com.hklight.octopusreader`
- **Platform:** Android
- **Type:** Android app
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** studenttwok
- **Category:** TOOLS
- **Downloads:** 1,051,210
- **Rating:** 4.38 / 5 (5,026 ratings)
- **Version:** 2.0.5
- **Last updated:** 2025-10-21
- **First published:** 2011-08-02
- **Publisher country:** HK
- **Size:** 8.92 MB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-13
- **Store listing:** [Google Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hklight.octopusreader)
- **Website:** [http://www.hklight.net/](http://www.hklight.net/)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://hklightstudio.net/data-privacy/](https://hklightstudio.net/data-privacy/)

## Description

Octopus Balance Reader is the pioneering Android app to check the balance of your Hong Kong Octopus Card since 2011. Designed for NFC-enabled devices, it allows users to easily retrieve card balances offline without modifying any card data. The app supports a variety of devices including Google Nexus S, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and more, with a revamped user experience tailored to modern Android versions.

This reliable tool respects legal boundaries, performing all reading within the official card system mechanisms. Although not an official product of Octopus Holdings Limited, it has been trusted by users for over a decade. For FAQs and more information, users can visit the official support page at http://hklight.net/#OctopusBalanceReader.

## Rankings

- #66,313 — Overall

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `android.permission.ACCESS_ADSERVICES_AD_ID`
- `android.permission.ACCESS_ADSERVICES_ATTRIBUTION`
- `android.permission.ACCESS_ADSERVICES_TOPICS`
- `android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE`
- `android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE`
- `android.permission.INTERNET`
- `android.permission.NFC`
- `android.permission.WAKE_LOCK`
- `com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID`
- `com.hklight.octopusreader.DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION`

## Review summary

Users praise the app for easy, no-sign-in balance checks and its convenience versus the official Octopus app, with active updates. However, several reviews report reliability problems (crashes, inconsistent balance readings) and some UI and feature gaps (typos, no auto-detect for deposits, no deactivation status).

### Pros

- Easy to use with quick balance checks; no login required, making it tourist-friendly
- Balance is displayed quickly and clearly
- Often considered better and more convenient than Octopus's official app
- Active development with regular updates

### Cons

- Balance readings are often inaccurate or wrong
- Reliability issues: crashes on launch and inconsistent card reading
- UI typos in the app (e.g., 'Blanace')
- Missing features: cannot auto-detect top-up/deposit and cannot show whether a card is deactivated

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/com.hklight.octopusreader)