Samsung's new app replies to your messages so your eyes can stay on the road

By Christian de Looper April 13, 2017

france texting while driving man sitting in car with mobile phone hand — sifotography / 123RF Stock Photo

Samsung wants to help keep drivers safe, and as such the company has created a new app called In-Traffic Reply, which is aimed at helping drivers reply to messages without taking their attention off the road.

The app was developed by Samsung Netherlands, and it automatically knows when the user is in a car or riding a bike, and will reply to incoming messages with a standard response that reads “I’m sitting in traffic, so I can not answer at this time.” The reply can be customized, too, so you don’t have to use such a boring response.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The app itself is currently in beta, and if you’re interested in using it, you can get it from the Google Play Store. The app will officially launch next month, according to Samsung, and while it will only launch in the Netherlands, if successful we can expect to see it get a much wider release.

It makes sense that a tool like this would be useful. In its press release, Samsung Netherlands said that one third of drivers in the country admitted to using their phone while driving, according to statistics from PanelWizard. According to the survey, the reason for that is social pressure. Specifically, users indicated that they felt like they needed to reply to calls or messages as soon as they appeared.

Samsung isn’t the only company trying to help users continue to use its services while keeping drivers safe. Google has launched a number of different products aimed specifically at in-car use, the most obvious of which is Android Auto, a simplified and basic version of Android that focuses on maps, as well as in-car entertainment like music playback. Android Auto makes buttons larger and easier to press, ensuring that drivers keep their eyes on the road as much as possible.

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Christian de Looper

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Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

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