A US-based startup claims to have developed a new software for smartphone apps that can sense when a notification would just annoy you.
The software collects data from an app itself - such as how long it has been operating, and when it is opened and closed, and combines it with location data and signals from smartphone sensors that indicate whether the phone's user is running, driving or tilting the device.
The information is then sent anonymously to Triggerhood's servers, where an algorithm determines whether you are likely to find it a good or bad time to get a notification, according to 'MIT Technology Review'.
The software will help apps to time their push notifications so that maximum communication with each user is ensured.
It helps smartphone apps evaluate the way their users spend time on their phone, see which other apps they are using, and also know at which location their device is used the most.
Integration with Triggerhood requires just one line of code, according to the website.
It takes a few days to build a personal profile for a user before Triggerhood can determine that, say, a news app should send you notifications about articles after you go running rather than during your run.
Triggerhood's cofounder and product head, Guy Balzam, said several small apps are using it. His company is working to bring it to some larger apps as well.
A recent study from Florida State University had found that just receiving a simple notification on a cellphone can cause enough of a distraction to impair one's ability to focus on a given task.
If Triggerhood can figure out how to hold off on sending notifications to people who are driving or working, he said, that could help reduce distractions.
