The Hidden iPhone Feature That Can Stop Car Sickness On Road Trips

If you've been cursed with car sickness, you know just how miserable long road trips can be. The nausea, headaches, or stomach upset make it hard to enjoy the beautiful scenery, let alone read a book or look at your phone. And not planning for car sickness is one of many rookie road trip mistakes. Of course, you can always pop some motion sickness medicine to combat the issue. But if it's too late for that or you'd like to avoid any possible side effects of the medication, we have a potential solution to use when it comes to looking at your phone: iPhone's Vehicle Motion Cues.

Vehicle Motion Cues use on-screen animated dots that sync with the movement of your vehicle. These dots are on the periphery of the screen to not interfere with content when reading, scrolling, or looking at the map. So how does it work? Motion sensors in your phone or iPad pick up on the direction and speed of your vehicle, and as you move, animated dots counterbalance the motion. So when turning left, the on-screen dots glide to the right, and vice versa. If you brake or accelerate suddenly, the dots jolt forward or backward respectively.

While scientists aren't entirely certain what causes motion sickness, the difference between perceived motion and actual motion is believed to play a role. This is why looking at the road and being able to predict the car's movements often helps alleviate symptoms. This is also why the dots make sense. Since the visual cues align with the car's movement, it may help bridge the gap between what your eyes and body experience. So where can you find this feature and does it actually work? We're here to reveal these secrets and get you on the road to relief.

Before you even pack for that upcoming road trip, activate the Vehicle Motion Cues feature on your iPhone. Otherwise, you'll find yourself scrambling to find it with a pounding headache, which will only exacerbate the issue. To get started, you'll need an iPhone with iOS 18 or later. If the latest software is already installed on your phone, you simply need to turn on the feature. 

Click on the Settings icon followed by Accessibility. tap Motion, then Show Vehicle Motion Cues. Here, you can choose from the options On, Automatic, or Off. When on or in auto mode, the feature will work in the background of all your apps. Whether creating a road trip playlist or answering emails, expect those small animated dots to appear — assuming your vehicle is in motion. And it goes without saying, but you should only be using these apps as a passenger. 

To control exactly when Vehicle Motion Cues is activated, consider adding it to your Control Center or Accessibility Shortcuts. This allows you to quickly tap the icon on or off as you please. The Control Center can be accessed by swiping down from the top right of your phone or the top left of your iPad. To add Vehicle Motion Cues to this screen, click on Settings followed by Control Center and then add the feature by tapping the + icon. Meanwhile, Accessibility Shortcuts can be opened by triple-clicking the side button and using Face ID. To add features, open Settings, followed by Accessibility and Accessibility Shortcuts. Click all the features you'd like to appear through this shortcut.

According to research journal Transportation Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior, nearly 50% of the population suffers from car sickness — and there's no one-size-fits-all option when it comes to solutions. If there was a magic pill that took effect immediately, everyone would jump on board. Sadly, many motion sickness medicines like Dramamine should be taken 30 minutes to an hour ahead of time, and can cause side effects like drowsiness and blurred vision, which can seriously detract from an otherwise enjoyable road trip. As such, an iPhone feature that can be opened and used immediately sounds promising. But as of now, the online reviews are mixed.

On a Reddit thread, passengers tested this feature and reported their findings. One user was pleasantly surprised, sharing, "I started without it and immediately wanted to vomit, turned it on and the feeling went away in a minute." Another chimed in "I think it's working. I don't feel as bad reading stuff as I usually do in the car." Others weren't quite as lucky: "I tried it and still felt motion sick lol."

The feature appears to work for some and not for others, but since motion sickness affects each afflicted person differently, this news isn't shocking. And on the same Reddit thread, one user felt the feature was "Only good if your head and phone remain stationary in relation to each-other." So if the feature isn't providing relief, keep this tip in mind. Meanwhile, some users speculate the feature may simply provide a placebo effect. Regardless, it's free and doesn't cause harm, so you may as well install it beforehand and try it for yourself! Who knows ... it just might be your secret cure, and before you know it, your family will be planning stunning road trips across the United States.