Chinese phone maker and Huawei subsidiary Honor has announced that it will launch eye-tracking technology starting August 27, giving users a new way to control their phone. The company has touted this technology as a new way to help people with disabilities use their phones.

Honor claims to be the first phone brand to introduce eye tracking in its mobile operating system, but Neowin cannot confirm this for sure. The company said this move is in line with its “commitment to human-centered innovation.” MagicOS 8.0 will allow users to use their eyes to open notifications and apps.

One disability that affects people’s ability to use a smartphone is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and leads to loss of muscle control. In the later stages of the disease, patients are often only able to control their eyes and that’s all you need for Honors Eye Tracking to work.

Honor said it is not stopping at eye tracking. The company is also developing non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies that allow users to control their phones using electrical signals from the brain. Honor said it has tested this technology with ALS patients.

Bernard Muller, AI-powered artist and ALS researcher, commented on Honor’s work to make technology accessible to more people:

“ALS Challengers are a testament to human resilience and I am proud to be part of an initiative that raises awareness of the quiet determination of my community. My hope is that the transformative power of AI technology will encourage more people with disabilities to express themselves through art, communication and social movements.”

Honor has not released a full list of devices that will receive this update, but has stated that Magic6 Pro will be among those that will receive it.

If you have an Honor phone, are you looking forward to trying this feature?