Title: How to make a smart phone smarter: Part 1
Author: Stan Wilson Jr
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
Tags: prototypes, productivity, iOS, shortcuts, Apple

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 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: 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

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Original: https://www.stanwilsonjr.com/blog/how-to-make-a-smart-phone-smarter-part-1