How Nearby:
Proximity Notifications for Find My
The “How Nearby” feature for Apple’s Find My app allows users to set customizable proximity notifications for specific contacts. This feature streamlines coordination by sending alerts based on a loved one’s location and specified arrival time.
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Problem Overview:
Find My users often manually check the app to track their loved ones’ proximity, especially in scenarios like welcoming someone home, coordinating arrival times, or ensuring a loved one’s safety. This repetitive task creates an opportunity for a proactive solution that enhances user convenience and reduces manual effort.
How I Got to the Solution
To ensure the “How Nearby” feature addressed real user needs, I conducted user interviews and usability testing with 5 participants, including parents, college students, and working professionals who actively use Apple’s Find My app.
User Research and Insights
Key Challenges Identified from User Interviews:
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Frequent Manual Checks: Users often opened Find My multiple times to monitor a loved one's location, particularly for time-sensitive events.
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Coordination Difficulties: Parents, commuters, and young adults found it hard to time activities around others’ arrivals.
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Safety & Convenience: Parents wanted a non-intrusive way to ensure their children’s safe return home.
"I check Find My at least three times when my husband is on his way home so I know when to start cooking dinner for the family. A simple alert would save me the hassle.” - 41, Working Parent
“When my daughter drives home for the weekend from college, I track her location the whole time. If I could just get an automatic update when she's close, I’d worry less.” - 62, Working Parent
“I use Find My to see when my parents are coming home so I can take a nap before doing chores. I wish there was a way to set an alarm instead of checking constantly.” - 17, High School Student
Prototyping and Iteration
Proposed Features
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Setting proximity alerts: Users can activate “How Nearby” for specific contacts and set a time-based proximity alert, such as “Notify me when 30 minutes away.”
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Customizable slider: A slider lets users adjust proximity thresholds, offering flexibility for different scenarios.
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Privacy-first design: Opt-in settings ensure only authorized contacts can activate proximity notifications.
User Testing
I tested prototypes with five diverse users to refine the design:
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Parents: Valued clear, customizable proximity settings and the reassurance of opt-in privacy.
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College students: Appreciated the ability to receive automatic updates without constantly checking the app.
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Teens: Wanted a visual confirmation of active notifications and an optional sound alert.
Feedback Highlights
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Users requested a visual indicator showing active notifications for peace of mind.
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Privacy settings were a top priority, ensuring users had full control.
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Teens and young adults preferred an alarm option rather than just a silent notification.
The Final Design
Key Features
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Customizable notifications: Users set alerts for specific contacts and choose proximity thresholds via an intuitive slider.
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Personalized use cases: Examples include safety check-ins for children, arrival coordination for events, and task reminders for shared living spaces.
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Privacy controls: Opt-in functionality ensures only authorized contacts can set notifications.
Design Flow Video
Introduced the "Natalie is Nearby" option to the existing notification triggers. This new option allows users to set proximity-based alerts.
Highlighted the features of the newly aded "Natalie is Nearby" trigger, giving users more control over notifications compared to the pre-existing arrival and departure options.
Demonstrated how the new "How Nearby" feature notifies users when a contact is within the set time range.
Introduced the "Natalie is Nearby" option to the existing notification triggers. This new option allows users to set proximity-based alerts.
Impact and Future Directions
Impact
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Reduced frequent app checks with automated alerts.
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Improved coordination through proactive notifications.
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Enhanced privacy-conscious location sharing.
Future Improvements
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Predictive arrival times: Integrate real-time traffic data for better accuracy.
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Voice-activated alerts: Enable Siri-based notifications for hands-free updates.
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Group notifications: Allow multiple contacts to receive alerts simultaneously.