Apple is currently working on a new feature of the iPhone that will let users set “safe zones” for phones. Currently, all iPhones lock whenever they are left unattended for a determined period of time.

With the new safe zone feature, iPhone users could determine places that are safe, and those that are unsafe. Here’s what’s known about this new Apple iPhone development thus far.

Setting Safe Places

The idea behind the safe setting is that your phone would remain unlocked at, for example, home. But, the minute that you leave the house, the phone’s automatic locking feature would be in place again. This way, you don’t have to bother with locking and unlocking your phone while you are at home, and you can have the safety of leaving the house knowing that your phone will automatically lock when you’re not in a safe place.

There’s no word yet on the type of location system that Apple will use with this new feature, but anything from GPS to Bluetooth is a possibility. The phone simply has to detect where it is in order for the new safety feature to work. There’s some rumor, too, that this update will include a feature that switches a user’s home screen – different apps for home and different apps for work would move to the forefront of the screen depending on location.

Somewhat New

The feature mentioned above will be new to iPhone users, but the concept isn’t necessarily a new one. An app called Tasker lets users keep phones unlocked when using friendly WiFi, and the feature that Apple is developing runs along those lines as well. It is also possible to connect some Android phones to certain “safe” devices, and the same basic rules apply. So, Apple’s concept is new when it comes to the iPhone (and it’s not the same as the other options listed here), but it’s similar to some things that already exist.

The concept that a user’s screen could change depending on location, however, is a completely new concept – and one that could prove to be very useful. While the safety feature that Apple is working on will be useful, I’m also betting it prompts a lot of couple arguments – the phone that remains locked at home could cause some rifts! In any case, the concept that Apple is working on hasn’t been fully revealed yet, but you can expect some new developments to pop up from the company soon.

Apple wants to work to make iPhone security even better, and that means working to add small features like this one. It should also be pointed out that no device makes “safe zones” possible at the security level, so that is something new. As Apple release details of this story, I’ll make sure to update you. In the meantime: would you leave your phone unlocked at home? Or, would you designate home a safe place? It would be an interesting experiment, right? Let me know what you think in the comments!