Ever since I enabled the Do Not Disturb for driving, I get this a lot:
The more I used it, the more obvious it became: this feature, regardless its good intention, is not working.
For one, when I tried to check out the map during driving, instead of going straight back to the map, I have to tap on the button first.
Not only I have to lie to the device every time, I literally have to put more attention to the device, not less, as it was designed.
Another situation is when I’m riding a car as a passenger, or is on a bus or a train, I have to tap on the button each time I’m checking my phone. Even though I finally don’t have to lie to use my phone, now answering the same questions again and again seems stupid.
To call this unexpected consequences is an understatement. This is a poorly planned feature. Instead of making a very error prone assumption and let user opt out to unlock the phone, why not just ask: “Are you driving?”?
Are you driving v.s. I am not driving
Simply switching the question will not solve the problem. However, this provides a reliable starting point: Instead of on/off switch, iPhone now can decide to grant access to apps that are only suitable for driving, and even better, offer a different mode for the apps. It can provide app with simplified UI, engage user with voice control, and present content based on the driving context.
To be fair, the situation where you really shouldn’t check your phone but you just want to is not going away. People may still find that they need to lie to their phones to use it as normal. But unlike completely shutting the door to your phone, at least it opens a window to continue use some of the features, and better yet, how well these features are fitting users’ need can be measured, and improved. As said by Astro Teller:
“Perspective shifts will unlock more than smartness will.”
