Comparison
100 Hz sound session versus Apple's animated dots.
| Feature | Stillwave | Vehicle Motion Cues (iOS 18) |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 100 Hz sound session | Visual animated dots on screen |
| How it works | 100 Hz pure tone through earbuds | Animated dots match vehicle movement to reduce visual-vestibular conflict |
| Time to effect | 60 seconds pre-travel | Continuous while using phone |
| Side effects | None known | None |
| When to use | Before or during travel, then put phone away | Only while looking at phone screen |
| Requires | Any earbuds + Stillwave app | iPhone with iOS 18+, screen must be visible |
| Cost | $0.99 | Free (built into iOS 18) |
Vehicle Motion Cues is a clever free feature, but it only helps while you're using your phone — it can't address motion discomfort from looking out the window or sitting in a moving vehicle. Stillwave's 60-second 100 Hz session works regardless of what you're doing afterward. They complement each other well.
They target different situations. Vehicle Motion Cues helps while reading on your phone. Stillwave is a pre-travel sound session you play before motion starts. You can use both.
Apple hasn't published peer-reviewed studies on its effectiveness. The concept of reducing visual-vestibular conflict is well established, but the specific implementation hasn't been clinically validated. Stillwave plays a fixed 100 Hz pure tone as a listening session.
Yes. Use Stillwave before your trip as a pre-travel sound session, and enable Vehicle Motion Cues if you plan to use your phone during the ride.
60 seconds of sound, up to 2 hours per session. No side effects.
Download — $0.99