1. Public Lock Screen Visibility (VISIBILITY_PUBLIC)
When you're out walking or running, unlocking your phone every 10 minutes to verify your step count is disruptive. GeniSteps configures its foreground notification with Notification.VISIBILITY_PUBLIC, allowing Android and iOS notification centers to render the live metrics directly on the secure lock screen:
2. Smart IPC Throttling: Reducing System Overhead by Over 95%
A smartphone pedometer can register thousands of steps per hour. If an app posts a notification update for every single step, it triggers continuous Inter-Process Communication (IPC) calls, keeping the system notification manager constantly awake and draining battery.
GeniSteps solves this with double-gate hysteresis throttling:
- Delta Step Gate: An update is only submitted if steps have accumulated by at least ≥ 15 steps.
- Time Interval Gate: At least 30 secondsmust have elapsed since the prior notification post.
This ensures the notification stays fresh and responsive while reducing system notification wakeups by more than 95%.
3. Zero Distraction: Silent Channel Architecture
GeniSteps creates a specialized low-importance notification channel (IMPORTANCE_LOW) with:
setSound(null, null)— Absolutely zero ringtones or notification chimes.enableVibration(false)— Zero motor vibration.setOnlyAlertOnce(true)— Ensures updates silently refresh in place.
4. User Consent & Instant Settings Toggle
We believe in user autonomy. GeniSteps never forces the lock screen live counter upon users without explicit consent:
- Home Screen Consent Card: A friendly card (
PermanentNotificationCard) introduces the feature and explains its zero-battery architecture. - Settings Toggle: A dedicated toggle in Profile Settings allows turning the permanent lock screen counter on or off at any moment.