The iPhone 8 might be smart enough to know when to shut up

The iPhone 8 is expected to have a front-facing biometric sensor for scanning your face. Its most obvious use seems likely to be scanning your face to verify your identity to unlock the phone, but it might also help suppress one of the most grating parts of the iPhone experience.

This week's bountiful HomePod firmware leak was loaded with info (including what the iPhone 8 will likely look like). Developers are still mining the code for details, and one of them suggests a new 3D sensor on the front could identify when you're using the phone and mute those annoying notification sounds.

That means you won't have to take the pesky extra step of turning off your phone to silent every time you use it -- unless you're one of those people who just wants to watch the world burn as your text conversation ding ding dings for everyone else to hear, even though you're watching the messages come in to you in real time.

The detail was spotted by iOS developer Guilherme Rambo, whose tweet featuring his screenshots was picked up by Apple Rumors.

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The leak also suggests the new sensor will be able to ID its owner even while the phone is lying on a flat surface. That could potentially let you unlock your iPhone without even touching it.

The iPhone 8 is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus in September and come in just three colors.