Alex Ruben
How To Enable and Use Eye Tracking on iPhone and iPad
Eye tracking tech on iPhone and iPad? Yeah, it’s kinda weird, but it actually works—if you set it up right. Basically, you can control your device just by looking at stuff, which is pretty handy if you’ve got mobility issues or just wanna try something different. Here’s the scoop on getting it rolling, calibration, and what to expect along the way.
Prerequisites for Eye Tracking Setup
First off, gotta make sure your gear is compatible and ready to go:
- Device compatibility: Eye tracking is available on iPhone 12 and newer (including iPhone 16 and the 3rd gen SE). For iPads, look for Mini 6th gen, iPad Air 4th/5th, and iPad Pro 11/12.9” (3rd to 6th gen). Because of course, Apple doesn’t make this overly easy.
- OS requirements: Run iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. No running, no control.
- Stable setup: Place your device on a flat surface. About 1 foot away for iPhone, maybe 1.5 feet for iPad—a ballpark that lets your face stay in front of the camera without too much fuss.
- Lighting: Bright but not blinding. Make sure your face’s well-lit and clearly visible to the front-facing camera. Mixed lighting can kill the tracking.
Step 1: Access the Eye Tracking Settings
It’s buried a little, so here’s how to find it:
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
- Under Physical and Motor, look for Eye Tracking.
Honestly, the first time I found this, I was like, “Really? It’s tucked away here?” But yeah, that’s where it lives.
Step 2: Customize Eye Tracking Settings
Once inside, you can tweak some settings to fit your style. Why bother? Because different eye shapes and lighting conditions mean it’s not gonna work perfectly right out of the box.
- Smoothing Slider: This kind of smooths out pointer jitteriness. Slide right if it’s lagging; left if you want quicker response. On some setups it makes a huge difference—on others, just adds a little lag.
- Snap to Item: This automatically moves the pointer to what you’re looking at. Handy for less aiming fatigue.
- Zoom on Keyboard Keys: When typing, this magnifies the key under your gaze, making it easier to hit the right one. Definitely helpful if you’re a shaky typist or in bright conditions.
- Auto-hide: The pointer hides when you move your eyes around and shows when you hold gaze. Because, honestly, constant blinking and eye movement can distract or clutter the screen.
Step 3: Calibrate Eye Tracking
This step is kinda crucial—if calibration is off, everything’s wonky. The process is like playing a kiddy game:
- Tap the toggle to turn it on.
- A dot will appear; follow it with your eyes as it moves around. Make sure to move your eyes naturally, no jerks.
- Keep doing this until it says calibration is complete—sometimes it takes a few tries. Calibration might reset if lighting changes or you recalibrate, so save some patience.
Honestly, I’ve found that on the first try, it can kinda mess up, then after a reboot or recalibrate, it’s much better. Not sure why it works that way, but it’s what I’ve seen.
Step 4: Using Eye Tracking to Navigate
Here’s where it gets fun—or frustrating, depending. Once calibrated:
- Look at whatever you want the pointer to move to. Gaze at an icon, a menu button, whatever.
- Hold your gaze steady for about a second—sometimes it’s more, sometimes less, depending on your settings—to “click” or select.
- Say you wanna open the Photos app—look at its icon, hold gaze, bam, opening the app.
Step 5: Sending Messages Using Eye Tracking
The texting part feels a bit more trial and error:
- Open Messages.
- Select a contact, then gaze at the Share button and hold.
- Use your eyes to move around the keyboard—Gaze on each key to type, then look at Send when done. Because typing like this is slow, but hey, it works.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Few things I’ve noticed that might help:
- If the tracking suddenly starts acting goofy, try recalibrating. Hold gaze at the top left corner of the screen for a second or two, which often triggers a quick reset—the method I often use when it just won’t stay locked on.
- Make sure your device isn’t shifting around, bumping, or in low lighting. That’s asking for trouble.
- If tracking gets weird indoors but your face is well-lit, consider restarting the device. Sometimes it just needs to refresh its face database.
- Also note: on some setups, calibration fails the first few times. Reboot or re-calibrate, then cross your fingers.
Conclusion
Getting eye tracking to work properly is kinda a hit-or-miss situation. But once dialed in, it’s a game-changer. Navigating with your eyes makes for a weird but surprisingly smooth experience—if things cooperate. Just gotta tweak those settings, light conditions, and calibration until it’s decent enough to use without frustration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my eye tracking isn’t accurate?
Check your lighting—bright but not blinding. Make sure your face stays within camera view, and try recalibrating, especially if you moved to a different room or changed lighting significantly.
Can I use eye tracking while driving?
Nope. Dangerous and probably illegal, too. Plus, it distracts more than it helps.
Is eye tracking on all iPhone and iPad models?
No, only on supported ones running iOS 18 or higher. Double-check your device list to be sure.
Summary
- Make sure your device is compatible and updated.
- Set aside some time for calibration; it’s not instant magic.
- Adjust settings like smoothing and auto-hide for better experience.
- Lighting and face position are crucial—no sneaky shadows or moving around.
- Recalibrate if things go sideways; sometimes a reboot helps too.
Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone. Good luck, and don’t forget—sometimes it just takes a lot of fiddling.