Giving friends custom text buzzes based on Morse code

A writer wanted a way to know who was texting without pulling their phone out, so they created distinct haptic text alerts for about 25 friends using Morse Code based on each person's initials. Texts are high-signal notifications but often irrelevant, and custom vibrations already made family members instantly recognizable; extending that idea would let the writer decide when a buzz warranted taking the phone out. They emphasize that urgent matters are better handled by phone calls, since calls bypass Do Not Disturb, and ask friends to call if something truly needs immediate attention.

The setup was manual but systematic: from iPhone Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone > Haptics > Create New Vibration the writer recorded each pattern, named it with the person’s initials, then assigned it in each contact via Edit > Text Tone > Haptics. They spent about 45 minutes total, with each vibration taking one to five attempts. To make recording easier they had an assistant generate an interactive artifact that plays a string of beats for an initial’s Morse pattern (initials randomized for privacy). Overall, the experiment is a lightweight, low-effort way to add many person-specific haptic cues without automation.