Among a raft of upcoming accessibility tools revealed Tuesday, Apple announced a new protocol for brain-to-computer interfaces (BCIs) within its Switch Control feature. The protocol allows iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS devices to support an emerging technology that enables users to control their digital hardware without physical movement.
One of the first companies to take advantage of the new protocol will be New York-based Synchron. “This marks a major milestone in accessibility and neurotechnology, where users implanted with Synchron’s BCI can control iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro directly with their thoughts without the need for physical movement or voice commands,” the company said in a statement.
It added that Synchron’s BCI system will seamlessly integrate with Apple’s built-in accessibility features, including Switch Control, giving users an intuitive way to use their devices and laying the foundation for a new generation of cognitive input technologies.
“This marks a defining moment for human-device interaction,” Synchron CEO and Co-Founder Tom Oxley said in a statement. “BCI is more than an accessibility tool, it’s a next-generation interface layer.”
“Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice, and typing,” he continued. “With BCI recognized as a native input for Apple devices, there are new possibilities for people living with paralysis and beyond.”
