How Smartphones Suggest Apps Based on Where You Are
Apple's patent for a system that automatically highlights or suggests mobile apps based on your current location or a location you are planning to visit.
Original patent title: “Mobile device with localized app recommendations”
Apple's patent for a system that automatically highlights or suggests mobile apps based on your current location or a location you are planning to visit. Granted to Apple Inc in 2018 with 31 claims and 16 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This technology allows a mobile device to scan its surroundings or look at your calendar to suggest apps that might be useful in that specific spot. When you are near a location of interest, the device queries a database to find apps relevant to that area, such as a coffee shop app when you are near a cafe. It then visually distinguishes these apps on your screen—perhaps by changing their size or color—to make them stand out from your other apps. This works for apps you already have installed or for new apps you might want to download.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover general location-based advertising that is not tied to app-specific recommendations.
- Does not cover systems that suggest physical products or services rather than software applications.
- Does not cover background location tracking that does not result in a specific user interface change for app icons.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system doesn't just look at where you are; it uses 'application usage data' combined with location to rank relevance, effectively learning which apps are actually useful in specific contexts rather than just guessing based on proximity.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
App Store suggestions on the iOS lock screen
Siri Suggestions in the Today View
Context-aware app widgets on modern smartphones
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is a core component of the 'context-aware' computing trend, where devices try to predict user needs based on environment. It helps companies like Apple curate the user experience by reducing the friction of finding relevant tools, effectively turning the phone's home screen into a dynamic, location-sensitive dashboard.
Filed
October 30, 2015
Granted
June 19, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple continues to integrate these features into iOS, specifically within Siri Suggestions and the App Store. Other major mobile operating system developers, such as Google for Android, employ similar location-based contextual awareness to populate app shortcuts and widgets.
Market impact
This patent formalized the shift toward 'just-in-time' software delivery, where the device actively manages the user's app library based on context. It has helped solidify the expectation that mobile interfaces should be proactive and intelligent rather than static grids of icons.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This technology allows a mobile device to scan its surroundings or look at your calendar to suggest apps that might be useful in that specific spot. When you are near a location of interest, the device queries a database to find apps relevant to that area, such as a coffee shop app when you are near a cafe. It then visually distinguishes these apps on your screen—perhaps by changing their size or color—to make them stand out from your other apps. This works for apps you already have installed or for new apps you might want to download.
The clever bit
The system doesn't just look at where you are; it uses 'application usage data' combined with location to rank relevance, effectively learning which apps are actually useful in specific contexts rather than just guessing based on proximity.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover general location-based advertising that is not tied to app-specific recommendations.
- Does not cover systems that suggest physical products or services rather than software applications.
- Does not cover background location tracking that does not result in a specific user interface change for app icons.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
25/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$288K – $922K
Midpoint $576K · 9.4 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
31 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Matamala, L. A. S., Huang, R. K., Shimada, T., & Herz, S. M. (2018). How Smartphones Suggest Apps Based on Where You Are (U.S. Patent No. 10,002,199). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10002199/uber-driver-incentives
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Smartphones Suggest Apps Based on Where You Are cover?
Apple's patent for a system that automatically highlights or suggests mobile apps based on your current location or a location you are planning to visit.
Who owns patent US 10002199?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2018.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 19, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10002199 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 16 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is a core component of the 'context-aware' computing trend, where devices try to predict user needs based on environment. It helps companies like Apple curate the user experience by reducing the friction of finding relevant tools, effectively turning the phone's home screen into a dynamic, location-sensitive dashboard.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover general location-based advertising that is not tied to app-specific recommendations.
Same assignee
More from Apple Inc
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