UI customization is to the detriment of user well being. This sounds like snake oil.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Petition Calls on Apple to Open Up Access to UI SDKs on iOS Devices so Devs can Implement Digital Wellness Tools
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
People that get off on controlling the lives and experience of others, monetising parents’ fears of the lifestyle of their kids but unable to wield any authority, and unaware that kids would just disable it, and work out how to hide they have, in less than a minute.
[doublepost=1527712526][/doublepost]
It’s the self righteousness that comes with that kind of self labelled breakfast table bravery that is particularly obnoxious.
https://www.change.org/o/digital_wellness_developers
I have never heard of any of these. This all seems like a way for these companies to sell you their products rather than a true concern.
[doublepost=1527715525][/doublepost]These monsters want to take away our computer screens and enslave us. Time is long past when we should have had a violent revolution.
As Apple prepares to introduce iOS 12 at the Worldwide Developers Conference next Monday, a group known as the Digital Wellness Warriors have launched a petition calling on Apple to allow third-party developers to make changes to the iOS interface and user experience to allow apps to implement digital health features to help users manage their digital wellbeing.
The petition comes amid rumors suggesting Apple is working on implementing several native digital health features into iOS 12, but the scope and content of what Apple's digital health options will include is unknown as of yet.
The Digital Wellness Warriors ask for an open iOS interface SDK that would allow for wellness-related features available through third-party Android apps to be ported over to iOS.
Several examples are listed in the petition, including replacement home screens that would offer "decluttering and dimming," an SMS autoresponder, screen covers to "nudge users towards healthier behaviors," contextual modes for limiting access at certain times, phone usage monitoring, and app usage insights.Apple has always maintained strict control over the user experience and design of the iPhone, so it is unlikely that this petition is going to spur the company to introduce an SDK that would allow for developers to make major changes to the interface, even with a stricter review process.
It also seems unlikely to happen as Apple is planning on implementing its own digital health tools in iOS 12, which will perhaps provide details on app usage and screen time along with more robust Do Not Disturb controls for blocking incoming notifications and calls.
The Digital Wellness Warriors, which includes app developers like Siempo, Lilspace, Flipd, HAPPI, Bagby, and others, are asking for signatures on their petition. As of now, the petition has garnered just under 350 signatures.
Article Link: Petition Calls on Apple to Open Up Access to UI SDKs on iOS Devices so Devs can Implement Digital Wellness Tools
"Won't someone think of the children!" = business model of the "Digital Wellness Warriors".
Why? Are you afraid you'd create something awful for your own home screen?
Thank goodness there's a Big Brother like company to prevent people from making bad fashion choices.
So basically they want the interface to look less like Palo Alto and more like Vegas.
Digital wellness? Seriously! What will the @#$% Millennials think of next.
I'll be sure to add this to the list of things that are obviously the fault of the entire millennial generation.
These Apple controls side ares always good, but that's only because users want to push this because they cannot do it themselves. Also other phones which may adopt is would be on the list.
While where at it lets do the same for Mac's as well because we spend far too much time in font of our computers.. Perhaps an "auto power off" function that would keep our Mac off for more hours the longer you use it.
Adoption would be more favored for phones because its the "better" device used.
Would really jazz up the home screen
It's more to do with giving options, than prevent bad fashion choices... With any choices comes the possibility of "better" choices.. Its not like Apple is god either. If given the change, some other home screens "could" actually be better than what Apple does. But we won't know unless Apple gives us the chance.
While where at it lets do the same for Mac's as well because we spend far too much time in font of our computers.. Perhaps an "auto power off" function that would keep our Mac off for more hours the longer you use it.
Adoption would be more favored for phones because its the "better" device used.
Would really jazz up the home screen
Why? Are you afraid you'd create something awful for your own home screen?
Thank goodness there's a Big Brother like company to prevent people from making bad fashion choices.
It's more to do with giving options, than prevent bad fashion choices... With any choices comes the possibility of "better" choices.. Its not like Apple is god either. If given the change, some other home screens "could" actually be better than what Apple does. But we won't know unless Apple gives us the chance.
A lawyer, always a lawyer. And if Apple resists, the petition will escalate into a class action suit.
Haha these digital wellness stuff is a total sham. What they are after are the more detailed user data so they can exactly know when your attention is on the phone so they can sell it to advertisers. Hope Apple can hold ground or improve iOS own parental controls to negate these claims of digital wellness.
Haha, that will never happen, Apple is all about regulated control and consistency, they would never like the basic behaviour of devices to be different from iPhone A and iPhone B.
[doublepost=1527733939][/doublepost]
[doublepost=1527733939][/doublepost]
Why would it be a class action suit? Apple owns iOS, they can do whatever they like with it.
Is this the new thing? Developers can't come up with ways to make money using the current rules so they demand Apple change them instead of just being more creative?
I'd rather Apple implement some of these features for free, which it seems they are slowly doing. Why on earth would I want yet another 3rd party app to have access to my phone usage patterns?
I'd rather Apple implement some of these features for free, which it seems they are slowly doing. Why on earth would I want yet another 3rd party app to have access to my phone usage patterns?
Last edited:
This is what on their petition, and I'll put in my 2 cents of what they're actually after.
- Replacement home screens: This is to allow 3rd party home screens which is frequently serving ads.
- SMS auto-responder: means access to SMS control, and in Android, it allows devs for SMS data mining
- screen covers: see replacement home screens
- contextual mode, phone usage monitoring: to data mine when users are actually giving the phone their full engagement -> sell data to advertisers to target ads at better times
- app usage insights: so they get their metrics on when users are paying attention to their apps, and thus they can serve ads
These digital wellness crap is just a spin of trying to get to know you better so they can find better timing to serve ads. What we need is just a better parental control, which Apple is probably already working on. These digital wellness stuff is just an excuse to get more user data from Apple's API.
- Replacement home screens: This is to allow 3rd party home screens which is frequently serving ads.
- SMS auto-responder: means access to SMS control, and in Android, it allows devs for SMS data mining
- screen covers: see replacement home screens
- contextual mode, phone usage monitoring: to data mine when users are actually giving the phone their full engagement -> sell data to advertisers to target ads at better times
- app usage insights: so they get their metrics on when users are paying attention to their apps, and thus they can serve ads
These digital wellness crap is just a spin of trying to get to know you better so they can find better timing to serve ads. What we need is just a better parental control, which Apple is probably already working on. These digital wellness stuff is just an excuse to get more user data from Apple's API.
You don't need to. Just understand that what they are asking for will never happen.
I’d much rather like Apple to add hooks for accessibility tools that would enable a much richer experience. Stuff like interface element enumeration, simulating taps and gestures and so on. There is some hope with the Workflow acquisition. Some of the features they wish could be enabled by this too.
Apps using this would probably need to have a much higher scrutiny though.
Apps using this would probably need to have a much higher scrutiny though.
Make sure it tracks every moment of our app usage, like Google's "digital wellness" scam.
Call it Proctological while you're at it Apple. We need more intrusion tools on iOS and MacOS!
The more the OS collects about our usage, the worse apps will get - don't be 5 minutes late checking …app, it will start bugging you with notifications.
Call it Proctological while you're at it Apple. We need more intrusion tools on iOS and MacOS!
The more the OS collects about our usage, the worse apps will get - don't be 5 minutes late checking …app, it will start bugging you with notifications.
Woah there buddy. I think you just may be personifying those millennials of whom you speak.Digital wellness? Seriously! What will the @#$% Millennials think of next.
Perhaps Twitter should add a warning message though: WARNING, you are approaching the Roseanne level of meltdown, your Twitter account will now be frozen for one week. Please seek psychiatric help immediately.
I can tell you though, most devs really don't care. We have apps to write and maintain. If a client wants us to do something we can't do, then it doesn't really matter since no business is lost if none of your competition can do it either.