iOS 18: Prevent Motion Sickness With Vehicle Motion Cues

[MacRumors]

In iOS 18, Apple added several new accessibility features, and one feature in particular that is likely to have widespread appeal among car passengers is Vehicle Motion Cues, which aims to prevent motion sickness when looking at an iPhone or iPad.

According to Apple, research shows that motion sickness is commonly caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel, which can prevent some users from comfortably using ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ while riding in a moving vehicle.

Vehicle Motion Cues are designed to avoid this sensory conflict with the use of visual elements on the display that indicate real-time changes in motion. Apple explains:

With Vehicle Motion Cues, animated dots on the edges of the screen represent changes in vehicle motion to help reduce sensory conflict without interfering with the main content. Using sensors built into iPhone and iPad, Vehicle Motion Cues recognizes when a user is in a moving vehicle and responds accordingly. The feature can be set to show automatically on iPhone, or can be turned on and off in Control Center.

As things stand in the latest iOS 18 beta, the Vehicle Motion Cues switch does not work in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Motion, likely because of a bug that hasn't been fixed yet, but that doesn't mean you can't try it out and see if it works for you. Fortunately, the same option works in Control Center. If you're running the iOS 18 beta, here's how to enable it.

1. Invoke Control Center with a diagonal swipe from the top-right corner of the screen (or with a swipe up from the bottom if your iPhone has a Home button).
2. Press and hold on any space in the Control Center to enter the customize mode, then tap Add a Control at the bottom.
3. Swipe up to the "Vision Accessibility" controls, then choose Vehicle Motion Cues.
   
   
   
   Press and hold a space in the Control Center to exit the customize mode.
4. Tap the Vehicle Motion Cues button, then choose On or Only in Vehicle.

If you turned on the feature, you should now see the motion cues – roving little dots – around the edges of your iPhone or iPad screen. If you opted for the automatic activation, wait until you're in a moving vehicle for the cues to appear.

There's no guarantee that it will work, but with a bit of luck, the feature will allow you to look at what's on your device for the duration of your journey without you starting to feel nauseous.

Article Link: iOS 18: Prevent Motion Sickness With Vehicle Motion Cues

 

[spillled typos]

Please bring to Mac. I don't get motion sickness in cars on my phone but I do on my Mac.

 

[yossi]

If this actually works, it will be a game changer.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Would probably feel less nauseous if just kept my eyes on the road and stopped typinging this out at 300 km/h on das autobahn 😜

 

[Fuzzball84]

Please bring to Mac. I don't get motion sickness in cars on my phone but I do on my Mac.

Same here especially on my iMac. Not sure if it’s the screen size or of the lack of space but it truly affects my productivity

 

[jaemes]

Diagonal swipe? It works fine, but that’s not the correct gesture, per Apple. To open Control Center on an iPhone swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen if it has Face ID, or swipe up from the bottom of the screen, if the device has a Home button.

 

[peneaux]

pretty interesting. Wonder if it really helps.

Favorited for future use.

 

[Martin Bland]

Heaven forbid anyone look out the window

 

[IllegitimateValor]

If this works well, it will put iOS devices above all other visual entertainment options while on a road trip. Will save reading book for books on iPhone. Same with gaming. Will use Delta or RetroArch and keep the Switch or SteamDeck in the bag.

 

[kiranmk2]

Such a simple, elegant solution if it works.

 

[Windoes]

Brilliant, needed this for a while now

 

[gaximus]

Same here especially on my iMac. Not sure if it’s the screen size or of the lack of space but it truly affects my productivity

I hope they bring it to AppleTV so I can have it on my 80" Samsung.

 

[btrach144]

Honestly, my most look forwarded to feature of iOS 18.

The older I get, the more I experience motion sickness and have to put my phone down while the passenger in a car.

 

[Hyperchaotic]

If this actually works, it will be a game changer.

Seems to work for a lot of people, though not all. We can now expand our screen time closer to 24hr/day. More if we use two iOS/iPadOS devices simultaneously.

 

[Devyn89]

Excited to try it. Not expecting it to work for me but I’ll be pleasantly surprised if it does.

 

[PJWilkin]

If they could enable this as a Focus Mode, it would be ideal

 

[ipedro]

If this actually works, it will be a game changer.

pretty interesting. Wonder if it really helps.

Favorited for future use.

Such a simple, elegant solution if it works.

Happy to say that it does work. It makes perfect sense in retrospect. Carsickness comes from your visual cues mismatching your inner ear's cues. This visual matches them up in real time.

 

[ignatius345]

The older I get, the more I experience motion sickness and have to put my phone down while driving.

Good. You should not have your phone in your hand while you're driving, period. This is a feature for passengers in moving vehicles.

 

[neilw]

Anyone got a video of this in action?

 

[russell_314]

This is going to make texting and driving so much more enjoyable 😂

Seriously though I’ve never had motion sickness as a passenger looking at my phone unless the driver is terrible

 

[GUNSTAR1]

I would argue it should behave to make you MORE motion sick while driving so people put it down and remain alert while driving around in the 2 ton SUV

 

[russell_314]

Honestly, my most look forwarded to feature of iOS 18.

The older I get, the more I experience motion sickness and have to put my phone down while driving.

Is it while doing anything specific like watching a video? I don’t seem to suffer from this. When iPhone went to OLED there was a few months where I occasionally felt motion sickness but not anymore.

 

[GrayFlannel]

Good. You should not have your phone in your hand while you're driving, period. This is a feature for passengers in moving vehicles.

I agree. When I see someone texting while driving I put down my beer and cigar and shake my fist while passing them on the right shoulder.

 

[russell_314]

I agree. When I see someone texting while driving I put down my beer and cigar and shake my fist while passing them on the right shoulder.

That’s the wrong answer… If you’re not throwing your empty beer can at them you’re not going to teach them what they’re doing is bad 😂

 

[btrach144]

Good. You should not have your phone in your hand while you're driving, period. This is a feature for passengers in moving vehicles.

My bad, I meant to say as a passenger. I never use my phone while driving as I use ‘do not disturb while driving’.

Is it while doing anything specific like watching a video? I don’t seem to suffer from this. When iPhone went to OLED there was a few months where I occasionally felt motion sickness but not anymore.

Literally anything. Videos. Reading. Scrolling instagram.

I prefer to be the driver anymore since being passenger is worthless since I can’t be on my phone.