---
title: "How to make a smart phone smarter: Part 1"
author: "Stan Wilson Jr"
description: "During a Saturday grocery trip to Whole Foods, I realized I always search for the same three apps. What if my phone could adapt to context — showing the right apps when I need them, like grocery apps appearing automatically when I walk into the store?"
published: 2025-09-27T10:26:44.000-04:00
updated: 2025-09-27T10:33:43.000-04:00
canonical: https://www.stanwilsonjr.com/blog/how-to-make-a-smart-phone-smarter-part-1
url: https://www.stanwilsonjr.com/blog/how-to-make-a-smart-phone-smarter-part-1
tags: ["prototypes", "productivity", "ios", "shortcuts", "apple"]
---
# How to make a smart phone smarter: Part 1

*By Stan Wilson Jr — SEPTEMBER 27, 2025*
*Original: https://www.stanwilsonjr.com/blog/how-to-make-a-smart-phone-smarter-part-1*

While on one of my weekly Saturday morning grocery trips to Whole Foods I realized that I use the same 3 apps every time but every time I need them I have to do a search for these apps. The obvious move would to move them to a more convenient screen to make them more available but they are really only used in this context. And if I did this I would have to do this for all similar situations where I search for app (which is a lot). A dedicated screen for each context does not scale.

Then I thought what I could make the phone aware of my context and make the phone change based on context instead of a more rigid approach. For instance, when I’m at Whole Foods, these are the most important apps.

## Problem

-   Currently, phones have a significant number of apps, making quick access difficult.
-   For specific situations, like being at a grocery store, I only need access to a few apps (e.g., Whole Foods app, grocery app, wallet app).
-   Accessing these apps requires using shortcuts, searching, or other methods, which isn't efficient.

## Idea Sketch

The following is a rough sketch of what I was thinking to start out with.

### Contextual Menu with Geofencing

-   Develop a system where a [geographical fence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geofence?ref=stanwilsonjr.ghost.io) triggers a state change.
-   Example: Approaching a Whole Foods changes the menu to show Whole Foods-related apps.
-   This could be applied to other locations like gym, home, or work.

## Prototype using iOS Shortcuts app

-   **State Management**: Use a basic file to maintain the state, with a text file that updates the state (e.g., `state = wholefoods`).
-   **Default State**: Start with the most used apps and switch to other states as needed.
-   [**Shortcuts**](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/shortcuts/id915249334?ref=stanwilsonjr.ghost.io): Create shortcuts to update and retrieve the state, and manage when and how the state changes.
-   **Scalability**: Manage up to 10 states for practicality.

## Future Potential

-   If successful, this would make at least my life simpler and potentially others
-   The market potential is uncertain, but it aligns with the mindset of users who prefer customizing their technology.
-   This idea caters to prosumer-type users who want to control their technology rather than be dictated by it.

## Next Steps

-   Prototype the idea to test its feasibility.
-   Live with to understand effectiveness
-   Design what this would look like in if Apple team integrated into iOS
---
*Plain text version: https://www.stanwilsonjr.com/blog/how-to-make-a-smart-phone-smarter-part-1.txt*