ProtoRun: Offline Lab Notebook

PROTORUN

About this app

ProtoRun is an offline-first protocol timer and digital lab notebook for wet-lab research. Load a protocol and it walks you through each step, with big, glanceable countdown timers that alarm and notify you even when the screen is off, so you can step away during an incubation and still get called back on time.

Built for the bench, with a focus on privacy: your notebook is a file you hold, not an account you rent.

YOUR DATA STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE
ProtoRun has no user accounts and no server. It does not request the internet permission, so the operating system prevents it from sending your data anywhere. Everything you record (protocols, runs, notes, and photos) lives only on your device. There is no usage tracking, no advertising, and no third-party analytics.

STEP-BY-STEP TIMED PROTOCOLS
- Build a protocol as an ordered list of steps, each with an optional timer.
- Run mode shows the current step, a large countdown, and Start / Pause / Reset controls.
- Timers keep running in the background and alert you when a step is done.
- Optional spoken cues announce the next step out loud, useful when your hands are full.

A REAL LAB RECORD
- Every run is saved as a dated record with per-step notes and deviations.
- Attach photos to any run (location tags are stripped from saved copies).
- Record operator and sample / batch ID, and scan a barcode or QR code for the sample.
- Sign off a run to lock it as a read-only record, with an optional witness line.
- Export any run as an HTML report or CSV.

ORGANIZE AND FIND YOUR WORK
- Group protocols and runs into folders.
- Search your history, filter by bookmarks, and browse runs grouped by date.
- A 30-day Trash protects against accidental deletion.

BENCH TOOLS
- Built-in calculator and standalone timer for quick bench math and one-off timing.

YOURS TO KEEP AND MOVE
- Back up your entire notebook as a single .zip file (database plus photos) that you keep.
- Restore it on a new phone whenever you like. "Sync" is just moving that file, with no service and nothing to breach.

THREE TEMPLATES TO START
ProtoRun ships with three example protocols so it's useful immediately and shows the format: immunofluorescence staining, bacterial transformation (heat shock), and Western blot. These are generic starting points, so edit the times, reagents, and steps to match your own lab's validated protocol.

IMPORTANT
ProtoRun is a productivity and timing tool. It is provided as-is and is not a substitute for your lab's validated standard operating procedures. Always verify times, reagents, and steps against your own approved protocol.

Permissions used are minimal and local: notifications and vibrate (for timer alerts) and exact alarms (so timers fire on time). ProtoRun requests no internet, location, contacts, or microphone access.