Apple recently unveiled a new “Do Not Disturb While Driving” mode for its iOS 11 software, which can be customized to give users a simple way to take a digital detox, according to The Telegraph.
This mode was originally created to limit notifications when you’re behind the wheel. Your phone normally kicks into “Do Not Disturb” mode whenever it notices you’re traveling faster than walking pace and automatically replies to texts to tell people you’re on the road.
But technology entrepreneur Kevin Rose explained in a Medium post that, by playing with the “Do Not Disturb” settings, you can modify the auto-reply message to tell people you’re away from your phone even when you’re not driving. Just like in the driving mode, all notifications are blocked except messages that include the word “urgent,” so you can still receive texts in case of an emergency.
This fall, Apple is set to release an iOS 12 software update — internally code-named “Peace” — which will include an updated version of “Do Not Disturb” that will offer even more ways to automatically reject calls and stop notifications, Bloomberg reported.
With this clever hack and software update coming out later this year, you can disconnect from your device whenever you want, and we could all use some distance from our phones every once in awhile. Because even when we’re not driving, the barrage of incoming notifications can be distracting, stressful, and even dangerous.
Read more at The Telegraph.