Apple is working on technology that may allow users to control their iPhone and iPad just by their thoughts. It will be to help people with significant physical disabilities, like those with ALS or spinal cord injury, to use their Apple devices without touching them at all.

The existing procedure utilizes a combination of hardware and software to create a system that decodes brain signals and converts them into commands that devices such as the iPhone and iPad can comprehend. Synchron has created a small device known as the Stentrode that can be placed - implanted - into a vein close to the motor cortex of the user's brain. It can subsequently detect electrical signals generated by the brain. These signals are subsequently converted into actions such as tapping an icon on the display - ultimately leading the way for a future in which users can operate iPhones, iPads, and the Vision Pro headset solely through their thoughts.

The technology remains in its initial phase. According to the report, a tester named Mark Jackson, who has ALS and cannot stand or move, is figuring out how to operate his iPhone and Vision Pro via his brain implant. Although he isn't able to move a cursor as swiftly as with a mouse or touchscreen, he can still navigate through screens using brain signals. In terms of software, the technology employs a feature of Apple iOS known as switch control.

Later this year, Apple is anticipated to introduce a new software standard aimed at assisting third-party developers in creating apps that can work with these brain implants. Currently, brain implants remain limited and are pending wider FDA approval. Apple's entrance into this space may advance the evolution of mind-controlling technology, making it more widespread and available to users.