How to use motion sickness reduction feature on iPhone

Hidden feature on iPhone can help reduce motion sickness by displaying circular dots along the sides of the screen.

Dots on the iPhone screen when Vehicle Motion Cues is turned on. Photo: ZDNet .

Many people often experience dizziness and nausea when using their phones in the car. To solve this problem, Apple added a feature called Vehicle Motion Cues to the iPhone.

Since motion sickness is caused by looking at static content on a screen, this feature will display dots that move based on vehicle movements, such as accelerating or turning. According to Apple, this mode makes "using iPhone more comfortable while riding in a car."

Where does motion sickness come from?

Based on many studies, there are two popular theories about motion sickness: the postural instability theory and the sensory conflict theory.

The first theory suggests that when people lose control of their posture, such as when they are on a boat or roller coaster, they become more susceptible to seasickness.

Meanwhile, the second hypothesis suggests that motion sickness occurs when “the motion seen is different from the motion perceived by the inner ear.”

According to Popular Science , this hypothesis is more commonly cited in medical studies, and is also the basis for Apple to develop a motion sickness reduction feature on the iPhone.

Apple says the moving dots can help reduce motion sickness. Photo: Pocket-lint .

As for the inner ear, this part is not only for hearing but also contains the vestibular system, which helps maintain balance for the body during activities such as running or cycling.

Inside this structure is a fluid called endolymph. When the head moves, the endolymph moves and acts on sensory receptors, sending signals to help the body maintain balance.

The vestibular system works closely with the visual system to maintain balance. These systems work well when a person is moving independently, but can have problems when moving in other forms of transportation.

That’s part of the reason why people can feel movement even when their eyes are closed and they’re sitting still in a car. While the vestibular system senses movement, the eyes are looking at something stationary, like a phone screen. The discrepancy between what they see and what they feel can create a conflict, causing dizziness and nausea.

To minimize this condition, some health agencies recommend that people who experience motion sickness while reading should “put the book, phone or tablet aside and look at distant objects or the horizon.”

Some other solutions that can be applied to reduce motion sickness include eating well, avoiding alcohol or smoking before the trip.

How to enable motion sickness reduction feature on iPhone

If you travel frequently and suffer from motion sickness, you can enable Vehicle Motion Cues on your iPhone by going to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Vehicle Motion Indicators .

On the next screen, you can choose to enable the feature all the time, or only activate it when the iPhone detects a user in the car.

Once activated, dots will appear along the screen and move according to the movement of the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle moves forward, the dots will move back at the same speed as the movement of external objects.

The dots on the screen move based on the actual movement of the car. Photo: Apple .

Likewise, they will move in the opposite direction if the car is going in reverse, move to the right when the car is turning left and vice versa. This movement can help the user see the movement on the screen, thereby reducing the conflict between the eyes and the inner ear.

Apple's announcement didn't detail the research behind the new feature, but a 2019 paper from the University of Salzburg used a similar approach.

The study placed moving dots on either side of an Android phone screen, moving in a similar way to Apple’s feature. Most participants reported a reduction in motion sickness, although the study was small.

Since it’s only been out for a year, there’s no concrete research on how effective Vehicle Motion Cues are. On Reddit , many people have confirmed that the feature is effective, but not everyone has had the same experience.

Source: https://znews.vn/cach-dung-tinh-nang-giam-say-xe-tren-iphone-post1597708.html