As the number of mobile devices we carry grows, the job of managing those devices throughout the day becomes cumbersome. This is especially true for cell phones. Despite the many benefits they provide, cell phones create problems that arise from a mismatch between the user’s context and the cell phone’s behavior. In large part, the mismatch occurs because owners do not remember to frequently update their cell phone configuration according to the current context. It is desirable for mobile devices to automatically configure themselves based on the context of the environment and user preferences. Given the personal attachment between people and their mobile devices such as cell phones, context-aware automatic configuration may not be the preferred solution for users. We have conducted an in situ experiment to examine the feasibility, effectiveness and people’s reactions to such a solution. Our results show that people prefer automatic configuration over configuring their devices by hand, and they are willing to adopt it in real life. The results also suggest that a hybrid, passive-active, context-aware configuration approach is preferred over a purely passive or active one.
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