Apple has filed a patent for technology that can help you detect your stress levels while viewing content.
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Health has been a passion for Apple since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2014. The manufacturer strives to offer updates year after year to measure the physical signals of its users as best as possible.
Lately, mental health has become one of Apple’s priorities, especially since Covid-19 and the successive lockdowns. The Apple Watch and even the Vision Pro mixed reality headset could offer features to relieve anxiety and detect signs of depression.
And according to a new patent filed in China on Friday, November 24, Apple wants to detect users’ stress levels as they watch content on one of its devices.
Content tailored to your stress level
It is the Chinese website IT Home that reports this information: Apple is reportedly developing a “stress detector” for its various devices, although we don’t know which ones will be attacked first.
This technology would make it possible to obtain physiological data to assess a user’s mental state while using a device. This detector could also determine the user’s environmental context via dedicated sensors, here we imagine the temperature, humidity, but also the user’s position.
We can well imagine that Apple wants to take advantage of the Apple Watch’s sensors, but some of them could perhaps be worn on devices like the iPhone or iPad, which could use the camera to detect facial expressions and pupil dilation, for example.
According to the patent, this data could be used to suggest different ways for the user to deal with high levels of stress, allowing them to, for example, get more educational content, entertainment or even during gaming sessions. Apple’s goal is to match the user’s mental state with the content they are viewing.
But conversely, content could also be hidden if the device detects excessive load. For example, when you play a stressful game or consult anxiety-inducing information on Twitter and thus avoid doomscrolling. We could imagine a special mode that you activate on your iPhone to be notified every time this type of content appears.
Finally, the patent suggests that it may be possible for content creators to target users according to their stress levels, putting them in the best position to benefit.
Everything is still unclear, but it seems that Apple wants you to stop worrying when you look at your phone.