Moving sickness – often referred to as motion sickness – is a common problem for travellers, especially during long car journeys. Whether you’re reading directions, watching videos, or scrolling through social media, that familiar wave of nausea can creep in fast.
The good news? If you’re an iPhone user, there’s a simple setting that may reduce moving sickness symptoms dramatically.
What Is Moving Sickness?
Moving sickness happens when your eyes and inner ear send conflicting signals to your brain. For example, your body senses movement, but your eyes are fixed on a still screen. This mismatch causes symptoms like:
- Nausea or queasiness
- Dizziness
- Cold sweats
- Headache
- Loss of focus or tiredness
It’s a common travel issue affecting both adults and children, particularly during car travel.
iPhone Hack to Help Prevent Moving Sickness
Apple introduced a feature called Vehicle Motion Cues to help reduce moving sickness during car travel. When switched on, subtle animated dots appear along the edges of your iPhone screen. These visuals mirror the movement of your vehicle, helping your eyes and inner ear stay in sync – which can reduce the symptoms of moving sickness.
To turn it on:
- Open Settings
- Tap Accessibility
- Go to Motion
- Select Show Vehicle Motion Cues
- Choose one of the following options:
-
- On – always enabled
- Automatic – activates only when motion is detected (recommended)
- Off – disables the feature
Quick access options:
- Control Centre: You can add a shortcut to toggle Vehicle Motion Cues directly from the Control Centre.
- Back Tap: Assign the feature to a double or triple tap gesture on the back of your iPhone via Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
- Accessibility Shortcut: Enable it as a shortcut using a triple-press of the Side or Home button.
Note: This feature is available on iPhones running iOS 18 or later. Most recent models support it, but make sure your software is up to date.
To check your iOS version:
Go to Settings > General > About, and look for “Software Version”.
Extra Travel Sickness Remedies That Help
In addition to using your iPhone smartly, here are some tried-and-true ways to avoid moving sickness on the road:
- Sit up front – Less motion is felt in the passenger seat.
- Focus on the horizon – Let your eyes follow the movement.
- Take breaks – Step out and get fresh air during long trips.
- Use travel sickness bands – These apply acupressure to ease nausea.
- Try ginger – Ginger sweets or tea can help soothe your stomach.
- Stay hydrated – Sip water regularly but avoid heavy meals before travel.
For more natural and practical ideas, check out:
- Travel Sickness: Everything You Need to Know
- Health Tips While Travelling for Every Explorer
- Medical Kit Checklist for Travel
A Smoother Journey Starts with Smart Settings
Moving sickness can take the joy out of travelling, but it doesn’t have to. For iPhone users, activating the Reduce Motion setting is a quick, simple way to ease symptoms and stay comfortable on the road.
Pair this digital tip with basic travel advice, such as staying hydrated, taking breaks, and avoiding heavy reading while in motion, and you’ve got a strong defence against nausea.
So before your next road trip or holiday, don’t just pack your bags — prepare your iPhone too.




