Samsung just released a new app called “Hearapy” to reduce motion sickness. It works by playing specific audio frequencies, quelling travel nausea for up to two hours with a quick session.
Samsung advertises the new app as a companion for those who use the company’s Galaxy Buds. Whatever hardware you use, the earbuds need to be able to dip as low as 100Hz frequencies, as the app simply emits bass sine waves for a period of 60 seconds at a time.
Unlike the motion sickness feature found on some Android devices that riddle your screen with dots, Samsung’s Hearapy app plays sound waves to stimulate the balance system inside the inner ear. Samsung says this helps your brain process movements better, and a quick listen can keep your brain stimulated for “up to two hours.”
Researchers from Nagoya University in Japan were responsible for some of the backing data, noting that listening to a 100Hz tone at a certain volume for around a minute can improve balance. As long as this frequency is played with no interruption from anything else, it can work.
The Galaxy Buds 4 are a prime candidate for Hearapy. They reach those frequencies and provide good enough sound isolation that the sine wave therapy can be effective for motion sickness, Samsung says. In reality, there are likely a lot of earbuds that can accomplish the same thing. As long as the drivers are able to comfortably lower to 100Hz, the app should work.
We used the app on a pair of Jabra Elite Gen 2 earbuds, which can get as low as 20Hz. The session is a little disorienting, with a low but loud bass tone playing for a few seconds until things start to get “buzzy.” Short of getting someone to drive me around blindfolded, we didn’t test the result. However, the app works beyond Samsung’s own hardware.
The Hearapy app isn’t a standalone feature for the Galaxy Buds – the app is available on the Google Play Store and works with any device.
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