Apple is seemingly working on some mind-boggling stuff. No, it is not the next iPhone, iPad, or even the Vision Pro 2.0. While these products might be in development, and coming sooner than expected, Apple is also working on technology that goes above and beyond the convention – technology that might someday let users control their iPhone and iPad with their own mind. The goal, as you can probably tell already, is to help people with severe physical disabilities, such as those caused by ALS or spinal cord injuries, use their Apple devices without needing to touch them.

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple is working with a company called Synchron on what some might call its first steps in the field of brain computer interfaces. It is too early to make comparisons with Elon Musk’s Neuralink – those will come later – but with Apple’s entry, the subject has much to gain given the company’s history of delivering standard of technology that were later adopted by the masses like for instance with the hearing aids getting support for iPhones which was first rolled out in 2014.

The procedure in its current form uses a mix of hardware and software to enable a system that interprets brain signals and turns them into commands a device like the iPhone and iPad can understand. Synchron has designed a small implant called the Stentrode which can be placed – implanted – in a vein near the users’ brain’s motor cortex. It can then pick up electrical signals from the brain. Those signals are then translated into actions like selecting an icon on the screen – eventually leading to a future where the user can control iPhones, iPads, and even the Vision Pro headset using just their thoughts.

The technology is still in its early stages. One tester, Mark Jackson, who has ALS and is unable to stand or travel, is learning to use his iPhone and Vision Pro through his brain implant, per the report. While he can’t yet move a cursor as quickly as with a mouse or touchscreen, he’s able to navigate screens using brain signals. On the software side, the technology uses an Apple iOS feature called switch control.

Later this year, Apple is expected to release a new software standard to help third-party developers build apps that can work with these brain implants.

For now, brain implants are still limited and awaiting broader FDA approval. Some like Neuralink have shown great potential. They are also seemingly faster than Synchron’s Stentrode. But Apple’s foray into the field has potential to kick things off further making mind-controlling technology more mainstream and accessible to users.