Among all the accessibility features released by Apple in iOS 18, the one that can truly make people’s heads turn is eye tracking. This feature has been announced prior the beginning of WWDC and now is available for people to test. This is how it works and my experience with it:
This article guides the user on how to set up the Eye Control feature on the iPhone running on its newest operating system; the iOS 18.
For this feature, a user requires iOS 18 beta on a compatible iPhone at the moment to try out the same. Fortunately, it is not a feature that is only applicable only to newer iPhones; any iPhone that has been upgraded to iOS 18 can take advantage of this feature.
Install iOS 18 Beta:
Make sure your iPhone is accessed the iOS 18 beta version.
Access Eye Tracking Settings:
For this, you should navigate to Settings, then Accessibility, and then Eye Tracking.
Turn it on, and it will bring out a screen where you follow a dot with your eyes to calibrate it.
Using Eye Control
Once calibrated, you can control your iPhone by focusing your gaze on different areas of the screen:Once calibrated, you can control your iPhone by focusing your gaze on different areas of the screen:
Activate Commands:
Do not move your eyes off the desired area to click the picture.
Additional Options:
To gain more control, use the manual pointer or auto jump over useful boxes.
Performance and Usability
While innovative, the eye-tracking feature is currently in beta and has some limitations:While innovative, the eye-tracking feature is currently in beta and has some limitations:
Accuracy:
It is not precise, and there is a possibility that this feature still needs more improvement.
Speed:
Using it is slightly slower than using the traditional touch controls; therefore, it would be ideal for the individuals who have limited hand movement.
Lighting:
Less secure in low light conditions as compared to Face ID which works superbly in low light condition.
Deactivating Eye Control
If you wish to turn off the eye control feature:If you wish to turn off the eye control feature:
Reverse the Setup:
Return to Settings > Accessibility > Eye Tracking.
To turn it off and return to normal on-screen touch controls, simply switch off the feature.
My Experience and Final Thoughts
The identification music had a comical undertone which was interesting to me while still needing some work, tested on an iPhone. It is a good progressive move toward accessibility products for the disabled – for those who are in wheelchairs, this is a helpful utility. However, when it comes to general usage, that is, using it in normal day-to-day activities, it still only remains a novelty.
