What you need to know
- Samsung’s free Hearapy app combats travel nausea using audio, offering a completely drug-free alternative to pills that leave you drowsy.
- Backed by research from Nagoya University, the app plays a continuous 100Hz bass tone at 75–85 decibels.
- Enduring just 60 seconds of this bass tone can reportedly ward off motion sickness for up to a two-hour car ride.
Motion sickness can ruin vacations, commutes, and road trips for millions of people. If you’re someone who feels sick as soon as the car starts moving, your choices usually aren’t great. Google has been working on visual aids like Motion Cues for Android, but Samsung just released a much simpler option. Their new, free Android app called Hearapy tries to help your inner ear using only sound.
The idea of replacing drowsy medication with a quick 60-second bass tone is appealing, and if Hearapy works, it could really help people who hate their daily commute. Still, Samsung is presenting a simple 100Hz frequency generator as a major reason to buy its expensive Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. You don’t need to spend extra money to get relief; the free app and your current earbuds are enough.
Hearapy (available to download here) is based on research from Nagoya University in Japan. Scientists there tested different audio frequencies to find out if sound could affect the vestibular system, which is the part of your inner ear that controls balance.
They found that listening to a specific 100Hz bass tone can help your brain process movement better. When people listened to this tone at 75 to 85 decibels, they said they felt much less stress and nausea during car rides.
Samsung turned that research into a simple app. You put on your headphones, open Hearapy, and tap the screen. The app plays a 100Hz tone, which is meant to help prevent motion sickness.
The tech giant says that listening to this bass tone for just 60 seconds can help you feel better for a two-hour road trip (via SamMobile). The app includes a timer to track your session.
Be sure to set the volume correctly. The app suggests about 85dB, which is loud but still safe for your hearing.
What you need to use it
Samsung naturally pushes its own hardware, specifically recommending the newly launched Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
Anything that lets me use my phone in a moving car without feeling sick is a win. Still, it seems like Samsung is testing out new technology to see what works. If it helps, your earbuds just got more useful. If not, you’re left with odd sounds and the same motion sickness.
The company claims these flagship earbuds are uniquely tuned to deliver the cleanest 100Hz bass tone required for the treatment.
But do you actually need to drop premium cash on Samsung's latest buds to avoid throwing up in an Uber? Absolutely not. As long as your headphones can clearly reproduce a 100Hz bass frequency, you are good to go.
