Apple’s Vehicle Motion Cues feature in iOS 18 offers a practical solution for motion sickness when using devices in moving vehicles. This accessibility addition tackles a common problem with a straightforward approach that could make travel more comfortable for many iPhone users who struggle with queasiness during journeys.
What Are Vehicle Motion Cues?
Vehicle Motion Cues is an accessibility feature in iOS 18 designed to reduce motion sickness when using an iPhone or iPad while travelling. The system displays small animated dots around the screen edges that respond to vehicle movements, providing visual indicators of motion changes. These visual elements help synchronise what your eyes see with what your inner ear feels, addressing the root cause of motion sickness.
Apple introduced this feature as part of its 2024 accessibility updates, targeting the sensory conflict that makes device use uncomfortable during travel. Motion sickness typically occurs when your eyes focus on a stationary screen while your inner ear detects movement, creating conflicting signals that lead to dizziness or nausea. Vehicle Motion Cues works to bridge this sensory gap.
How Vehicle Motion Cues Works
The feature utilises your iPhone’s built-in accelerometer and gyroscope to detect vehicle movement patterns. When your car accelerates, dots on your screen move downward; during braking, they move upward; and when turning, they slide horizontally in the opposite direction.
This visual representation helps align what your eyes see with what your body feels, allowing your brain to process sensory inputs more effectively. The dots appear at the screen edges to provide motion feedback without interfering with your content. The system works best when you’re seated facing forward, as this aligns the visual cues with typical movement perception.
How to Enable Vehicle Motion Cues
Setting up Vehicle Motion Cues takes just a few steps.
Enable Vehicle Motion Cues
1. Open the Settings app
2. Scroll down and tap “Accessibility”
3. Select “Motion”
4. Tap “Show Vehicle Motion Cues”
Automatic vs always-on motion cues
You have three options when enabling the feature. “On” keeps the visual cues active constantly, even when stationary. “Automatic” is more efficient, using your device’s sensors to detect motion and only displaying cues when necessary. “Off” disables the feature completely.
Faster access to Vehicle Motion Cues
For faster access, you can add Vehicle Motion Cues to Control Centre. Open Control Centre by swiping down from the top-right corner (or up from the bottom on older iPhones), press and hold any empty space to customise, tap “Add a Control,” and select “Vehicle Motion Cues.” This creates a one-tap toggle for the feature.
Real-World Benefits
The practical impact of Vehicle Motion Cues can be significant for motion sickness sufferers. One user reported being able to read in a moving vehicle for the first time in 29 years after enabling the feature, completing an entire book chapter during a 24-minute bus ride without discomfort.
The feature functions across various applications, whether you’re reading e-books, watching videos, browsing social media, or checking emails. Apple designed it to be subtle, ensuring the motion cues provide necessary feedback without distracting from your primary content.
When to Use Vehicle Motion Cues
Vehicle Motion Cues is specifically for passengers, not drivers, and Apple warns against using it in situations requiring safety attention. The feature works best when seated facing forward, as the visual cues are calibrated for this orientation. While designed primarily for car and bus travel, it may prove helpful in other transport settings as well.
This feature represents a practical application of existing sensor technology to address a widespread problem. For those who experience motion sickness, it transforms the iPhone from a potential trigger into a potential solution, allowing more comfortable device use during travel without the typical side effects.
