Eye-tracking technology has always been one of those sci-fi features that sound like a complete game-changer. So, when Apple announced that iOS 18 would bring eye-tracking functionality to iPhones, I was beyond stoked. The mere thought of being able to control my phone with my eyes alone sounded revolutionary.
However, after spending some time with this feature, my excitement quickly fizzled. Allow me to give you the rundown of how it went using eye tracking on iOS 18.
@duncanzz My experience with eye tracking on iPhone ios 18 #ios18 #eyetracking #iphone #apple #techtok #duncanzz
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Setting Up Eye Tracking on iOS 18
Eye tracking is relatively easy to set up on an iPhone: Users go into their Settings, head to the Accessibility tab and flip the switch next to Eye Tracking. They’re then prompted to follow a dot on their screen with their eyes as the phone calibrates itself to their gaze.
Once it is set up, you are ready to go. In theory, it sounds simple enough: just look at where you want to click and a small dot will appear on the screen to track your eyes. However, the moment I started using it, things quickly went downhill.
Eye Tracking in Action: A Frustrating Experience
One major complaint I found with this technology was that the whole process was very sluggish. You have to look at an option for a few seconds before your intent is registered with the iPhone; this is a little necessary to prevent accidental clicks, but it makes using the feature sludgy.
For instance, opening Instagram with my eyes meant that I stared at it, but most times, nothing happened. When the eye tracker does finally register where I’m looking, usually it selects the wrong thing, actually making it more frustrating than convenient. A process that’s theoretically supposed to speed up immensely how I navigate my phone significantly slows it down.
When Eye Tracking Misses the Mark
Another thing that I have noticed is that the eye tracking is apt to misfire fairly frequently. There have been any number of times when I clicked on things, like apps or options, that I really didn’t intend to. It was so imprecise, in fact, as to cast doubt on the usefulness of such a feature in its present state.
Also, for tasks that require fine precision, like typing or selecting of small buttons, the eye-tracking feature can hardly be used at all. It is imprecise and hence a bad alternative to standard touch input.
Will Eye Tracking Improve in Future Updates?
While I have been somewhat disappointed with iOS 18 eye-tracking, I do firmly believe this is just the genesis of the technology. Apple has always had a knack for refining features with updates, and this is an area that could be vastly improved in later editions of iOS. In theory, eye-tracking holds huge potential, but right now it feels more gimmick than useful feature.
Eye Tracking Needs More Work
In its current state, the iOS 18’s eye-tracking feels like something undercooked and unreliable. For something hyped to provide better accessibility and faster navigation, it is just slow and full of misses. Hopefully, some future updates will unlock this technology’s full potential, but until then, I am going to have to turn it off and revert to good old touch controls.