Synchron first BCI company to achieve Apple BCI-HID native integration — Switch Control works on iPad, iPhone, Vision Pro by thought
Summary
Synchron announced it is the first BCI company to integrate with Apple's BCI-human interface device (BCI-HID) standard, having co-developed a Bluetooth-based iOS protocol that connects brain activity directly to Apple devices using Switch Control — including iPad, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro — with no touch, voice, or eye-tracking required. Mark Jackson, an ALS patient from Synchron's FDA-approved COMMAND trial, became the first person to control an iPad using Synchron's BCI using only his thoughts, enabling him to type, navigate, and open apps. The Apple BCI-HID integration makes the Stentrode the first BCI to be recognized as a native input category by a major consumer OS, alongside keyboards and mice.
Why it matters
Apple recognizing BCI as a native input category alongside keyboards and mice is a paradigm-shifting moment in the history of human-computer interaction. The Switch Control integration means any future Stentrode patient can use an unmodified iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro from Apple retail — no custom software required, no specialized apps, no accessibility workarounds. This is what BCI democratization looks like in practice.
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