Neurotechnology firm Synchron on 4 August publicly demonstrated what it says is the first native, thought-driven control of an Apple device. In a video released by the company, Mark Jackson, an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient, used only his neural signals to navigate an iPad home screen, launch applications and compose text. Jackson was implanted in 2023 with Synchron’s Stentrode, an endovascular brain-computer interface positioned in a vein over the motor cortex. The device wirelessly transmits motor-intent signals to an external decoder that pairs with the iPad via Bluetooth and is recognised by the tablet as a standard human-interface gadget. The breakthrough hinges on Apple’s Brain-Computer Interface Human Interface Device protocol, introduced in May, which allows iPadOS, iOS and visionOS to accept brain signals as a native input method. Synchron is the first company to tap the protocol, combining it with Apple’s existing Switch Control accessibility feature to create a fully hands-, voice- and eye-free interface. Synchron says it has implanted Stentrodes in 10 patients in the United States and Australia under an FDA investigational device exemption and is planning further controlled roll-outs. Apple is expected to extend BCI HID support across its product line later this year, a move that could bring brain-based interaction into mainstream consumer electronics and expand options for people with severe mobility impairments.