The latest iOS 18 update will introduce a variety of new accessibility features for the iPhone.
Apple has just introduced a range of new iOS features for the iPhone, including a functionality designed to prevent passengers from experiencing car sickness while using their phones.
Announced on Wednesday, the Vehicle Motion Cues feature aims to reduce motion sickness for passengers in moving vehicles. When activated, animated dots on the screen’s edges swerve in sync with the car’s movements, which Apple claims will help alleviate sensory conflict.
The moving dots visually simulate the car’s motion without interfering with the phone’s content, allowing users to read and play games more comfortably in the backseat. Previous research suggests motion sickness occurs when there is a mismatch between what our body senses and what our eyes see.
This latest feature is part of a suite of updates announced ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 16. It is expected to be released with iOS 18 alongside the iPhone 16 later this year. It uses the sensors in your iPhone and iPad to detect when you’re in a moving vehicle. It can be activated automatically or toggled on and off in the control centre.
In addition to the motion sickness feature, Apple is introducing eye tracking to the iPhone and iPad, enabling users with physical disabilities to control their devices using just their eyes. Powered by AI, this feature utilises the front-facing camera to allow users to navigate, interact with elements, and swipe up and down the screen with eye movements.
Apple Introduces Music Haptics: A New Way for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Users to Experience Music
Not only that, the tech giant is also introducing a new feature called Music Haptics, which uses the iPhone’s Taptic Engine to vibrate in sync with the beat of the music. This provides deaf and hard-of-hearing users a new way to experience music on their phones. Tech startup Nothing offers a similar feature on its Nothing Phone.
Other accessibility features include vocal shortcuts, allowing users to execute complex shortcuts with simple voice commands, and a new setting that enhances the iPhone’s ability to understand atypical speech patterns from users with conditions like cerebral palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
New CarPlay accessibility features will include voice control, color filters, and sound recognition for deaf and hard of hearing drivers. Additionally, there are new accessibility enhancements for the Apple Vision Pro, alongside updates to the company’s existing accessibility settings.
Lastly, Apple is expected to announce all its upcoming iOS 18 features at the Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC) on June 10. Artificial intelligence is anticipated to play a vital role in the keynote.
