Motion sickness dots: what they are and how to get them
The animated dots you've seen at the edge of someone's phone are Apple's Vehicle Motion Cues (iPhone, iOS 18+) or Samsung's Motion Cues (Galaxy S25 series). They move with the car so your eyes see the motion your inner ear feels — which makes reading in a moving vehicle less nauseating. iPhone: Settings > Accessibility > Motion. Samsung: Settings > Accessibility > Vision enhancements. Pixel and most other Androids don't have them built in.
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Get the dots on your phone
iPhone (iOS 18 or later)
Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Vehicle Motion Cues → choose Automatic. The dots appear when the phone detects vehicle motion and vanish when it stops. Full detail on the Vehicle Motion Cues page.
Samsung Galaxy (S25 series)
Settings > Accessibility > Vision enhancements > Motion Cues. Rolling out gradually — if the toggle isn't in that menu, your model doesn't have it yet. Walk-through and fallbacks on the Samsung page.
Google Pixel & other Android
No built-in dots. KineStop (Google Play) overlays similar moving cues while you read; sound-based apps work without needing your eyes on the screen. Options compared on the Android page and the Pixel page.
Why dots help (and when they don't)
Car sickness while reading happens because your eyes report a still page while your inner ear reports motion. The dots inject the car's real motion into your field of view, so the two senses stop arguing. It's a miniature, portable version of looking at the horizon — the best-evidenced free fix there is.
Two honest limits: the dots only work while you're looking at the screen, and they're prevention, not rescue — once nausea has taken hold, put the phone away, get air and a forward view, and breathe slowly.
No dots? There's a sound-based route.
Try Dizzout Free
Dizzout plays drug-free calibrated sound through any headphones on any phone — no iOS 18, no S25 required. Designed to help even once symptoms have started.
Frequently asked questions
What are the motion sickness dots called?+
On iPhone the feature is called Vehicle Motion Cues (added in iOS 18). On newer Samsung Galaxy phones it's called Motion Cues. Both show small animated dots at the edges of the screen that move with the vehicle, giving your eyes a motion signal that matches your inner ear so reading in a car makes you less queasy.
How do I turn on the motion sickness dots on iPhone?+
Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Vehicle Motion Cues, then choose Automatic — the dots appear when the iPhone detects you're in a moving vehicle. Requires iOS 18 or later.
How do I get the motion sickness dots on Samsung?+
If your Galaxy has the feature — currently the S25 series, with more models being added — it's under Settings > Accessibility > Vision enhancements > Motion Cues. If the toggle isn't there, your model doesn't have it yet; a third-party app like KineStop shows similar moving cues, or Samsung's free Hearapy app takes the sound-based route.
Can I get the dots on a Google Pixel?+
Not built in — Pixel and stock Android have no equivalent of Vehicle Motion Cues. KineStop (Google Play) overlays similar moving dots while you read. A sound-based app like Dizzout works on any Android phone and doesn't need your eyes on the screen.
Do the motion sickness dots actually work?+
The principle is solid — the dots reduce the mismatch between what your eyes see and what your inner ear feels, which is the cause of car sickness while reading. No independent published trial has tested Apple's implementation yet, so treat it as free, sensible and worth turning on rather than proven. Note the dots only help while you're looking at the screen, and they're prevention rather than a rescue once you already feel sick.
Related guides
Feature availability described as of July 2026; settings menus and supported models can change with OS updates. Apple, iPhone, Vehicle Motion Cues, Samsung, Galaxy, Hearapy and KineStop are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. This page is informational and not medical advice.