Tech company Apple will debut a new iPhone feature with the next big update to its iOS mobile operating system, which could help mitigate several of the most common unsafe driver distractions.
Dubbed “Do Not Disturb while Driving,” Apple’s new operating mode for the iPhone functions a lot like its existing “Do Not Disturb” mode, which silences all notifications for phone calls, texts, and other alerts while active. The only real differences are that the new driving mode activates automatically, setting the screen to black, whenever the phone detects it is in a moving vehicle, and that it allows the user to set an automatic text message reply if desired.
Apple’s new iPhone operating mode isn’t impenetrable, however; important messages can still break through if they’re marked “urgent,” and users will be able to deactivate Do Not Disturb while Driving if they so choose. That’s an important component for situations where, say, you’re taking some form of public transportation, or are simply a passenger in someone else’s car.
How Apple’s Do Not Disturb while Driving mode will affect the iPhone’s integration with infotainment systems such as Ford’s SYNC 3, which offers Apple CarPlay right out of the box, is uncertain. However, it seems probable that even with the mode active, controlling the phone with voice commands or by touching the 8-inch touchscreen would be business as usual.
The Do Not Disturb while Driving, part of iOS version 11, is expected to drop this fall.
(Source: Car and Driver)
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