Apple Reveals 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' iOS 11 Feature to Hide Unnecessary Notifications

Monday June 5, 2017 12:22 PM PDT by Mitchel Broussard
A new safety feature is coming to iOS 11 this fall called "Do Not Disturb While Driving," which will block unnecessary notifications to your iPhone when it's connected via Bluetooth to a vehicle. Apple said it'll also be able to use speed-detection to know if a user is in a car while it's moving.

iOS 11 introduces a new way to help drivers stay more focused on the road with Do Not Disturb while driving. iPhone can detect when you may be driving and automatically silence notifications to keep the screen dark. Users have the option of sending an auto reply to contacts listed in Favorites to let them know they are driving and cannot respond until they arrive at their destination.
When you're driving, Messages will auto-reply with a specific text message to those trying to reach you that you currently can't reply to their text. Users who are passengers will be able to tell iOS 11 and grant full notification access to their iPhone.

Tag: WWDC 2017
72 comments


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Icestyle
21 months ago

They could make it so it senses a vehicle in motion even if it's not connected and disables the phone. They could easily make it so you can't disable it. If the customers don't like it they can go get an Android phone. It would make Apple a leader in safety.

Great idea... I don't have a car. Now what? Am I not allowed to use my phone in a train or tram or bus?
Rating: 5 Votes
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Relentless Power
21 months ago

If only this feature was forced...


There Would be legalities behind forcing something like this. But nonetheless, this is an outstanding feature to promote safety and a hands-free approach on the roadway and keep your eyes focused on the road. Do Not disturb while driving should have debuted sooner.
Rating: 5 Votes
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zorinlynx
21 months ago

Auto reply has been a feature of Android along with do not disturb. Speed sensing when connected to car Bluetooth is good. The stack knows because each vendor has a unique ID. On the other hand, what happens if I'm in the car and my phone is connected and I'm thenpassenger? Also, let's.face it, if you are the kind to text and drive you just won't connect or you will bypass.


Yup, that's just it. I actually LIKE this feature, because I often have my phone in a cradle while I'm driving providing me GPS navigation. It's nice for alerts to NOT come in automatically during that time. If I'm not using GPS navigation my phone is in my pocket out of sight and doesn't distract me.

(a buzz in my pocket is not as distracting as a notification bubble popping down with text on it in my field of view)

However I have a big problem with attitudes like DakotaGuy's, which cripple functionality while driving. I'm not always driving when I'm in my car, and don't want to have to implement annoying workarounds to be able to use my phone.

Keep these awesome features OPTIONAL, damnit.
Rating: 4 Votes
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zorinlynx
21 months ago

Disabling it by indicating that you're the passenger should require granting access to the rear camera. If it sees the steering wheel, it won't allow you to turn off DND. If the AR they demoed could identify a table, surely it could tell if you're driving.


Why do you yearn to be ruled by your technology rather than to be in charge yourself?

Every time I see this attitude it scares me.
Rating: 4 Votes
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WBRacing
21 months ago

If only this feature was forced...

If only some people had common sense, this wouldn't even be needed.
Rating: 3 Votes
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zorinlynx
21 months ago

It might take a long time to be fully implemented, but possibly there would a way for the phone to tell it's in a passenger vehicle so you could still use it other places. It'll probably take forced Government regulation to come up with something that will force disable a phone for a motor vehicle operator.


You sound like quite the authoritarian.

Why don't you just let people do what they want to do with their devices?

Note that I absolutely LOVE features like this as long as they are optional.
Rating: 3 Votes
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stevespim
21 months ago

No, let's be real. You don't need all that crap in your car.


I appreciate you trying to help. :)

I use my phone, hands-free, through my Apple Carplay. My phone stays locked in the center console of my car whilst in motion. Always has. I'm an ex-police officer so I know the drill with the legalities.

However, in my current line of work (a different branch of law enforcement), I need to be able to answer telephone calls immediately, often from unfamiliar numbers, so as to be able to conduct my business. Sometimes, lives depend on it. Yes I know that sounds overly dramatic but honestly, in my line of work, sometimes lives do actually depend on it. Often, but less frequently than calls, text messages come through too that need to be answered immediately.

I do all this currently through voice control and Siri. If the notification function is taken away, without me being able to disable DNDWD permanently, I will need to get a new phone in order to do what I need to do.

So, yes, I do actually "need all that crap in my car."

But again, thanks for the assistance. :)
Rating: 2 Votes
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WatsonHo
21 months ago

If only this feature was forced...


Be careful about what you wish for. There are all kinds of unintended consequences to forcing this kind of thing on people. Not everyone is just casually texting about dinner and gossiping on their phones.

A few years ago, I got a phone call at work in the middle of the day from my sister who told me that my Dad was at the hospital, his condition was not good, and they may soon transfer him to hospice. I jumped in my car and immediately started the 2.5 hour drive to the hospital, not knowing if he would even be there (or alive) when I arrived. I can't imagine how mad I would have been if my phone had cut off all communications with the outside world during those two hours with a forced "I can't take your call/text right now" message being sent to my sisters.

And what if your 16-year-old daughter was driving alone late at night and a strange car started following her closely. Would you want her to pull over (and put herself in danger) in order to call for help? Or would you want her to pick the up the phone and call you or the police for help while still driving down the street?

I could come up with cautionary tales all day long. The point is that sometimes there are legitimate reasons to have a phone live, active and easily available. As long as this is an OPTION, I think it's a great idea. But it should never be forced.
Rating: 2 Votes
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C DM
21 months ago

No, it asks you whether you want to enable it now or later. Which would mean annoying pop ups from time to time...

Meaning if you decide to not enable it then it won't be enabled for you and you can continue using your phone just as you do now.
Rating: 2 Votes
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RaggieSoft
21 months ago
I take the city bus everywhere, or I'm a passenger in a car. Keep it optional
Rating: 2 Votes
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