There are times when we want our phones to ring louder, maybe because we’re in a loud and crowded environment. Other times we would prefer if our phones were on silent because it would be rude for it to go off, like in the cinema, during a concert, at the library, in school, and so on.
While we’re not sure if Apple will ever bring such a feature to the iPhone, at the very least they are thinking of it, thanks to a recent patent filed by Apple and discovered by the folks at AppleInsider. According to their finding, it reveals a patent that will be able to automatically change its security levels, configurations, and settings based on your location.
So for example if you were in a public place like the library or at school, your phone might automatically be set to silent and have Touch ID activated. But when you’re at home, Touch ID might not be required and your phone can turn off silent mode. The phone will also be able to “learn” your surroundings, such as through GPS, WiFi, or nearby iPhones (so maybe if it detects you’re around family that you’re in a “trusted” environment).
The patent also describes how some features can be activated/deactivated depending on your location, like when you’re driving, it could disable certain features that might otherwise distract you. It could also detect when you’re at work in which productivity apps or emails become more prominent. It’s an interesting feature but like we said, there’s no telling if and when Apple will implement such a feature, but would you be interested in it?