Improving Vision Health

Dr. Desai also shared how Apple is offering ways to address vision health in iOS 17 and watchOS 10, with new features that will help reduce the risk of developing myopia, particularly in children, by measuring exposure to daylight and viewing distance from the screen.

An Apple Watch running watchOS 10 will be able to measure the amount of time a child spends in daylight, which can even be done from a standalone Apple Watch using the Family Setup feature, and shared with parents or caregivers via health sharing.

iPhones and iPads equipped with a TrueDepth camera can also measure if the user is holding the screen too close for an extended period, prompting them to change the viewing distance to reduce eye strain and the risk of other vision problems.