Samsung’s Hearapy app claims to prevent motion sickness with 100 Hz sound waves

Samsung dropped a surprise today. The company announced Hearapy, a new mobile app that claims to prevent motion sickness during travel and car rides using sound waves.

The concept sounds simple but odd. Play a specific audio frequency for one minute, and you might avoid motion sickness for the next two hours. It's like taking a pill, but with sound instead of medicine.

How does it work?

Hearapy plays a precise 100 Hz sine wave that targets the balance system in your inner ear. You listen for about 60 seconds at 75-85 decibels, and Samsung says this can prevent motion sickness for up to two hours.

The app works with most headphones, not just Samsung's own Galaxy Buds. We tested it ourselves and found it runs on various audio devices, though results may vary between users.

Why does it matter?

Motion sickness affects millions of travelers worldwide. Current solutions include:

• Medication that can cause drowsiness
• Pressure point wristbands with mixed results
• Avoiding reading or screens while traveling
• Looking out windows or focusing on the horizon

If Hearapy actually works, it could offer a drug-free alternative that's as simple as putting on headphones. The timing also coincides with Samsung's Galaxy Buds 4 Pro launch, though the company says the app works with other headphones too.

The context

Samsung based Hearapy on research from Nagoya University in Japan. The researchers studied which audio frequencies most effectively stimulate the vestibular system - the part of your inner ear that controls balance.

Their findings showed that a 100 Hz sine wave played for several minutes can temporarily improve balance and reduce motion sickness symptoms. Samsung took this research and built an app around it.

The company specifically mentions the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro alongside Hearapy, noting they "deliver clean and powerful 100 Hz sound." This suggests the app might work best with Samsung's latest earbuds, though it's unclear if this is just marketing or if there's a real technical advantage.

You can download Hearapy from Google Play now. Whether it becomes a travel essential or just another forgotten app depends on whether the science actually translates to real-world relief for motion sickness sufferers.