Apple WWDC 2023: Apple announces kid-friendly features to reduce eye strain

Apple gave a look at features targeted at reducing eye strain for kids during its annual WWDC on Monday, including a daylight sensor and alerts to move the screen farther away from your eyes. The feature comes after Apple initially previewed more health and accessibility features for Global Accessibility Awareness Day in May. While the features can be used by anyone, Apple said they’re targeted at kids because myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, usually develops in childhood and affects about 30% of the US population, according to the American Optometric Association.

At WWDC, Apple said spending more time outdoors in the daylight can help reduce a child’s risk of developing nearsightedness. A new Apple Watch feature will use the ambient light sensor to measure how much time the wearer spends outside. That data will show up in the Health app, and in Health Sharing for families so that parents and guardians can access the information for kids without iPhones. 

Another effort to reduce myopia risk is Apple’s new screen distance detection. The Screen Distance feature uses the camera technology behind Face ID in other Apple products to send an alert when a user is too close to their screen. The notification tells users to move a device farther away from their face if they’ve been holding it too close. 

All Health app data, including the vision updates for kids, is encrypted, according to Apple. The features will be available as a part of watchOS 10. 

Follow all of the news from Apple’s WWDC 2023 right here.

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