Apple gave a look at features targeted at reducing eye strain for kids during its annual WWDC on Monday. The feature comes after Apple initially previewed more health and accessibility features for Global Accessibility Awareness Day in May.
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 and 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, to keep track of how much time is spent outside.
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.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s WWDC 2023 right here.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-kid-friendly-features-reduce-eye-strain-wwdc-182620428.html?src=rss