Experiencing motion sickness while using your iPhone or iPad in a moving vehicle is a common issue many users have complained about at some point. To help combat the problem, Apple has added a new accessibility feature in iOS 18, Vehicle Motion Cues, which aims to reduce motion sickness to allow you to use your iPhone in a moving car comfortably.
Keep reading to learn what the Vehicle Motion Cues feature is and how to use it to enjoy a comfortable road trip.
What is Vehicle Motion Cues in iOS 18?
Apple says research has shown that most people experience motion sickness due to the sensory conflict between what they feel and what they see on their iPhone screens while in a moving vehicle. This makes it difficult for them to use their iPhones comfortably in moving vehicles.
Vehicle Motion Cues aims to reduce it. With the feature turned on, users see animated dots on the edge of their iPhone screen. These dots represent changes in vehicle motion that prevent the sensory conflict that causes motion sickness, allowing you to focus better on the content on your device. The iPhone uses built-in sensors to recognize the change in motion when the user is in a moving vehicle and act accordingly.
How to turn on Vehicle Motion Cues in iOS 18
The Vehicle Motion Cues is a new accessibility feature. As such, you must head to Accessibility settings on your iPhone or iPad to enable it. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Select Accessibility.
- Here, tap on Motion under the Vision section.
- Finally, toggle on Show Vehicle Motion Cues on the subsequent screen.
Now, every time your iPhone’s built-in sensors detect a change in motion while you’re in a moving vehicle, the Vehicle Motion Cues feature will be activated automatically. Once it does, you’ll see animated dots on your screen’s edges that move in sync with the vehicle’s motion to counter it.
How to use iOS 18 Vehicle Motion Cues on an iPhone
While the Vehicle Motion Cues feature comes into action automatically once you’ve enabled it, you can add the feature’s control button to the Control Center to use the feature at your whim.
- Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to access the Control Center.
- Tap the + button in the top left to edit and customize the Control Center.
- Next, tap on Add a Control at the bottom center.
- Now, locate and tap the Vehicle Motion Cues tile to add it to the Control Center.
- Tap the Vehicle Motion Cues button and choose the appropriate option in the pop-up menu that appears.
- By default, the feature is set to Only in Vehicle, which activates once you’re in a moving vehicle. However, you can set it to ON, and you’ll see animated dots at the edges of your iPhone’s display at all times.
Motion sickness eliminated?
The addition of the Vehicle Motion Cues accessibility feature on the iPhone is a welcome move and can be a boon for users who are prone to motion sickness when in a moving vehicle. However, we’ll have to wait until further user reports are available to comprehend its effectiveness.
Besides Vehicle Motion Cues, Apple also added a bunch of other accessibility features, such as Eye Tracking and Vocal Shortcuts, to the iPhone with iOS 18. What do you think of the new accessibility features in iOS 18? Do share your thoughts in the comments.
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