Chapter 1: The Hidden Gem of iOS 18

Apple's latest iOS 18 comes with a remarkable yet discreet feature that has the potential to change lives—though I personally won’t be utilizing it.

Let me share a childhood memory. When I was nine, my older brother had a rather unfortunate incident during a car ride to a hill station. He suffered from severe motion sickness and, despite his best efforts, he couldn't hold back his breakfast, resulting in a rather embarrassing moment for both of us. To this day, it brings laughter whenever we reminisce about it.

For those who experience nausea during lengthy car journeys and own an iPhone or iPad, this new iOS 18 feature might just be a game changer.

It's well-known that motion sickness often stems from conflicting signals between our eyes and our inner ear. When we focus on a static screen, our eyes send a message to our brain that we are stationary, while our inner ear perceives motion. This disconnect is a primary contributor to motion sickness.

If Apple's assertions are accurate, the vehicle motion cues in iOS 18 could potentially eliminate such awkward moments—and may even help prevent motion sickness altogether. This is significant, considering that approximately one-third of the population experiences some form of motion sickness.

Apple's approach to addressing this issue is both straightforward and sophisticated. Activating the feature allows your phone to analyze your movement using accelerometer data, similar to how your inner ear functions. Subsequently, your screen displays small moving dots at the edges, contrasting the direction of your motion (akin to trees appearing to rush by when you're in a moving vehicle). This visual cue helps your brain reconcile the conflicting signals and reduces the urge to feel nauseous.

Here's a demonstration of the vehicle motion cues in action:

The inner engineer within me is fascinated by how such a prevalent issue has a simple solution, especially given the lack of alternatives over the years. The moving dots are subtly positioned on the screen's edges, ensuring minimal distraction.

To learn how to activate this feature, check out this guide:

However, I can't personally assess its effectiveness.

Consider this: the reason I didn’t experience motion sickness at nine, while my brother did, may not solely be due to individual susceptibility. More likely, it’s because I spent nearly all my time gazing out the window during car rides.

If you’ve never linked looking out of the window to alleviating motion sickness, this might just be your "ah-ha" moment.

I genuinely enjoy observing the world outside vehicle windows. Whether it’s a brief bus trip or an extended road journey, I find that watching the scenery rush by fills me with awe. It’s like fast-forwarding through a vibrant city that would take hours to explore on foot. People often seek mindfulness through meditation or walks, yet they overlook the beauty around them in their daily travels.

In conclusion, while it took Apple 17.5 years to tackle this widespread problem, simply looking out of the window while traveling at high speeds likely serves the same purpose—perhaps even more effectively. The last thing I want is for this feature to promote mindless scrolling through social media instead of encouraging a mindful appreciation of the world around us.

– Shubhayu

This is one of my initial posts here, so any feedback or support would be greatly appreciated!