How to Adjust Eye Tracking Dwell Time in iOS 18

Apple’s iOS 18 includes built-in Eye Tracking, an accessibility feature that allows users to navigate their iPhone or iPad using only their eyes. To prevent accidental selections while reading or browsing, the system uses Dwell Control to trigger actions only after your gaze remains fixed on an element for a specific amount of time. You can fine-tune this pause duration to match your comfort level, ensuring selections register neither too quickly nor too slowly.

To modify the pause duration for Eye Tracking, you must access the accessibility controls in iOS 18:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
  3. Under the Physical and Motor section, select Eye Tracking.

Adjusting the Dwell Duration

Within the Eye Tracking settings, the primary option responsible for how long the system pauses on a screen target is Dwell Duration.

  • Dwell Duration Controls: Located within the Dwell Control settings, this allows you to adjust the exact number of seconds you must look at an element before a tap or action triggers. Use the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons to increase or decrease the dwell time in increments of fractions of a second.
  • Increasing Duration: If you find yourself accidentally opening apps, pressing buttons, or triggering actions while simply looking across the screen, increase the dwell time to give your eyes more leeway before a selection is confirmed.
  • Decreasing Duration: If you are comfortable with navigation and want faster response times, decrease the duration to minimize waiting on targets.

Along with the core duration setting, a few related parameters affect how your gaze interacts with targets:

  • Movement Tolerance: This setting determines how much your eye can drift away from the target before the dwell timer resets. Increasing the tolerance helps if your eyes have micro-movements or minor tremors, preventing the dwell countdown from breaking.
  • Smoothing: Smoothing stabilizes the cursor across the display, reducing jitter so the cursor remains steady over target items, making it easier to maintain focus for the duration of the dwell pause.