# DreamLab - Powering Research — Fast-track health research

> Uses mobile phone processing power for health research, fighting COVID-19 and cancer. (iPhone/iPad app by THE VODAFONE FOUNDATION.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamlab-powering-research/id1273619275 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [THE VODAFONE FOUNDATION](https://appshunter.io/developer/1273619274)
- Category: Health & Fitness
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.78/5 from 525 App Store ratings · 285 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.1 · 27 MB
- Languages: Albanian, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and 1 more
- Released: 2017-10-16
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamlab-powering-research/id1273619275/reviews.md

## What is DreamLab?

***Temporarily, DreamLab is being used to support research to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19.***

Imagine if you could really make a difference and help to speed up time in the fight against Covid-19 and cancer.  DreamLab is a multi-award winning app from the Vodafone Foundation, in partnership with Imperial College London, which uses the collective power of mobile phones to fast track Covid-19 and cancer research. DreamLab exists to help find answers quicker and the more people who use DreamLab, the faster it works.  

Medical research currently generates huge volumes of health data around the world every day, but access to computing power to crunch and make sense of this data is limited. Your mobile device contains a huge amount of computing power needed to run everything from email to music and video streaming apps, but is mostly dormant while you plug it in to charge overnight. DreamLab harnesses this processing power, of yours and thousands of other mobile phones, to examine such health data to look specifically at how existing drugs can be repurposed to help in the fight against cancer.  

DreamLab taps into this invaluable resource to find more effective combinations of drugs that can be tailored to patients to improve treatments and save lives. As a Dreamer you can even choose which project to support and also select how much mobile data the app uses every month (or only on WiFi). Just one PC running 24 hours a day would need 300 years to process the data required to complete the project. However, 100,000 smartphones running DreamLab for six hours a night could fast track the job in just three months.  

Download the DreamLab app today and start making a difference to lives in the fight against cancer.  

Charge 
Download the DreamLab app, choose a project to support and each time your phone is plugged in, charged and connected to the internet, you’ll be helping to save lives in the fight against Covid-19 and cancer.  

Sleep 
Charge your phone overnight and while you #SleepLikeAHero, DreamLab taps into its unused processing power to support vital cancer research.  

Fight Covid-19 and Cancer
Alongside thousands of other DreamLab users, while you sleep you’ll be using your phone to power a virtual supercomputer, capable of processing billions of calculations – and helping fast track research into better ways to fight Covid-19 and cancer.  

When you plug your phone in and power DreamLab, it downloads tiny parts of a huge research project from the cloud to calculate and sends the results back to the team at Imperial College London. The more people who power DreamLab, the faster we can find the right drugs and treatments to beat cancer. All you need to do is set up DreamLab once and it will get to work each time you plug your phone in.  

To help the fight against Covid-19 and cancer, and find the drugs and treatments needed to fight them, simply download the app (#) and choose which Project you’d like to support. You can also track the contribution you’ve made and keep up to date with news.  

DreamLab supports cancer research globally and is powered by the Vodafone Foundation.  

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/dreamlab  

* A compatible handset is required. Downloading DreamLab will consume mobile data. Once downloaded, DreamLab can be used when your device (i) is connected to a charging source and (ii) has mobile network or WiFi connectivity.   

# By downloading, installing or otherwise using the DreamLab application on your device, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions found at https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/dreamlab 

If you do not agree to be bound by these Terms, you should not download, install or otherwise use DreamLab Application.

## Key features

- Contributes to COVID-19 and cancer research
- Utilizes phone's processing power while charging
- Supports a virtual supercomputer
- Allows project selection
- Offers data usage control (WiFi or mobile data)

## Recent user reviews (10 of 285)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamlab-powering-research/id1273619275/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Big Supporter

*2025-03-26, version 2.6.8*

Why are you shutting g down this app. I’ve been supporting this app for year and want to see it continue.

### 4/5 — Great stuff dreamlab

*2025-03-23, version 2.6.7*

Easy to use. Worthwhile. Even though a non mathematician I’d like to have some better idea of the sort of calculations my iPhone is doing. Any chance of explaining to the layman? Great work though

It’s good to know we’re contributing BUT. There is so very feedback. The researchers really do need to think about the volunteers and give Sri some basic 

Still good but as a volunteer I feel  we should get occasional brief feedback about what’s being accomplished

### 5/5 — WHO DA THOUGHT!

*2025-03-10, version 2.6.7*

Haven’t slept so well in years due to a app. Would love to find out more about the people involved and see how an what the numbers are crunched into along with what are my calculations mean if I have 68

### 5/5 — Dream Lab

*2025-02-05, version 2.6.7*

I think it is wonderful of Vodafone to do this and I have been using a his app for years.
Some time back, I suddenly I got an ‘oops’ message.
Let it sleep for 24 hours, same message. Another 24 hours, ditto. Removed the app and reinstalled.
Same message? Why is this? 
Is this to convince me to get a new phone? 
have made numerous contributions! 
Guess I will have to go see my Vodafone man, Riyaz!

### 5/5 — Fantastic

*2025-01-25, version 2.6.7*

Highly worthwhile app, everyone should have it.  Works very well, no bugs or glitches, UI is excellent.  And you can help the world while you sleep.  It’s a whole lot of win

### 5/5 — It’s A No Brainer

*2024-12-23, version 2.6.8*

I mean… why wouldn’t you donate your unused computer’s and smart device’s processing power to medical science. You never know whose life you just might contribute to saving - possibly the life of someone you know… maybe even yourself.

### 5/5 — Verbesserungsvorschlag

*2024-12-16*

Ich habe einen Verbesserungsvorschlag: Ich habe die App mit meinem Apple Account genutzt. Dann musste ich einmal die App löschen und neu installieren. Allerdings sehe ich danach meine vorherigen, damaligen Berechnungen nur noch unter „Beitrag“ -> „Alle Geräte insgesamt“, und unter „Beitrag“ -> „Meine Berechnungen insgesamt“. Es wäre mir lieber, wenn ich mit meinem Verknüpften Apple Account auch noch die einzelnen Projekte unter den damaligen Berechnungen sehen könnte. Also z.B. dass man da auf die Gesamtanzahl der damaligen Berechnungen draufklicken kann und dann diese pro Projekt aufgelistet sieht. Also die damaligen Berechnungen pro Projekt auch dann, wenn man per Apple-Account oder per Google-Account verknüpft.

LG

### 4/5 — Great idea, wish Mac app gave more power

*2024-12-11, version 2.6.8*

The idea of distributed computing for science is fantastic, I only wish that I could contribute more of my workstation to the cause. I have a high-powered M2 Ultra and M4 Pro systems and there doesn’t appear to be a way to increase the use of those resources beyond about 30% of one core. I understand not wanting to over-use resources and increase heat of energy consumption, but if I am leaving this on overnight on a desktop or laptop with fans, I should be able to contribute more. Is it possible for a fix?

### 1/5 — Restarting app

*2024-11-15, version 2.6.7*

Have been using this on five devices for years now. They would get more calculations out of us if when reconnecting you didn’t have to go through four screens asking to reconnect

### 5/5 — Just doing my bit to help

*2024-11-09, version 2.6.7*

Ive put this app on every night for the past 5 /6 years . It costs me NOTHING. But it helps research deceases and weather phenomenon. So just doing my bit to help.

## Frequently asked questions about DreamLab

### What does the DreamLab app do?

DreamLab is an app that uses the unused processing power of your mobile phone while it's plugged in and charging to help speed up health research. It contributes to a virtual supercomputer that analyzes large datasets to find new treatments for diseases like COVID-19 and cancer.

### How does DreamLab help fight COVID-19 and cancer?

The app processes vital health data to identify existing drugs that can be repurposed to fight COVID-19 and cancer. By contributing your phone's computing power, you help researchers find effective drug combinations faster, potentially saving lives.

### Is DreamLab free to use?

Yes, DreamLab is a free app. It does not have any in-app purchases or advertisements. The only potential cost would be related to your mobile data usage if you choose to run it on mobile data instead of Wi-Fi.

### What are the requirements to use DreamLab?

To use DreamLab, you need a compatible mobile device that can connect to the internet. You will also need to plug your phone in to charge it overnight and connect to the internet, either via Wi-Fi or mobile data, for the app to run and contribute to research.

### Can I choose which research project to support?

Yes, you can choose which research project you would like to support within the app. This allows you to direct your contribution to the area of health research that you are most passionate about, such as COVID-19 or cancer studies.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.6.8 — 2025-03-25

Final release thanking all users for their collaboration. The app will shut down on April 2nd.

### 2.6.7 — 2024-06-30

Minor bug fixes and enhancements

### 2.6.6 — 2024-05-23

Minor bug fixes and enhancements

### 2.6.5 — 2024-03-19

Minor bug fixes and enhancements

### 2.6.4 — 2024-02-27

Release of new Tropical Cyclone project - Tropical Cyclone Phase 4

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*
