We’ve all had it happen. We forget to turn our iPhone to silent mode when we attend a movie, or a meeting or even church. Right in the middle of the proceedings, BLAM! There goes a notification or phone call alert! Vpasana to the rescue!
Overview
Vpasana can remind you to switch your phone to silent mode whenever proper etiquette at a public venue requires “ringers off.” Vpasana can be set to either notify you when you enter a silent zone, or automatically set your ringer to silent when entering a zone. The app can also re-enable your sounds when leaving a silent zone, or again, notify you that you’re leaving a zone so you can manually re-enable your notification sounds.
One interesting aspect of the app is that it is socially driven. If three other Vpasana users have set an area to a silent zone, the app knows this, and automatically sets your device to silent. You can however, manually override the silent zone setting if you wish.
VPasana also works at participating public venues, such as movie theaters, lecture halls, museums, and other public venues. If you see the Vpasana “V” logo at the entrance, the Vpasana app should take care of silencing your smartphone.
The Vpasana interface is simple, if ugly. (The app reminds me of the first apps for the iPhone back in the iOS 2.0 and 3.0 days.) There are only a few switches to set in the app, such as for switching manually between silent and audible mode, and telling Vpasana to act in “Notification Mode” (It notifies you when you’re entering a preset silent area), or to manually go into Silent Mode.
I did notice a few quirks with the app. When I first installed it, the app notified me when I was entering a silent area by loudly playing a notification sound! Which seemed a bit odd. Also, some of my neighbors in my apartment complex must be Vpasana users, and have set the area to a silent area, as my iPhone sets itself to silent mode when I enter the area around my building. I was able to avoid this by placing the app into notification only mode.
The app also has a built-in help screen, which is basically an FAQ for the app, but it is helpful to first time users of the app.
Verdict
Other than the dated interface, and a bit of setup trial and error, Vpasana is a great app. If you visit many venues where silent mode on your smartphone is a must, then Vpasana is an app that is definitely worth a try!
Vpasana is free, and has no in-app purchases required to make it useful. The app is available for both the iPhone and Android devices.
Rating:[rating:3.5]
Price: FREE – No in-app purchases, available in the iOS App Store and Google Play.
Pros:
- Does a good job of keeping track of “quiet zones.”
- Easy to use, only a few settings.
- Automatically silences your device when needed.
Cons:
- The interface needs to be updated, very reminiscent of early iOS apps.
- Initially, the app sounded a loud notification to warn when I entered a “silent zone.” Seemed a bit odd.
- If other users mark your home’s area as a silent zone, your device will automatically enter silent mode, which can be a bit inconvenient.
*Note: The above review was commissioned by the developer in accordance with our app review policy, and has been written in an objective, unbiased fashion
