Aside frombringing Screen Time Communication Limits to the Macand enabling developers tocreate a single binary containing code for iOS, macOS and tvOS, the first developer beta of macOS Catalina 10.15.4 thatdropped yesterdaypacks in an exciting new feature that makes it possible to control the on-screen cursor with head movements using the Mac’s camera!
Brazilian iOS developer and 9to5Mac contributorGuilherme Rambofirst spotted this feature.
It’s essentially a new accessibility setting, dubbed Head Pointer, which means this feature was probably created primarily to aid people who may have issues with motor skills.
New “head pointer” accessibility feature in 10.15.4. Control the cursor with head movements.pic.twitter.com/VJuZ2JR503
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside)August 09, 2025
As Rambo note, you’re able to adjust how this feature works in the Accessibility section of System Preferences. Among the available options at your disposal are settings for pointer speed, input, cursor moves and more. For instance, you can set it up so that the pointer always follows your head movements no matter where you face.
“Moving faster makes the pointer move faster,” according to the feature’s description. Tweaking this further, you’re able to even define the amount of head movement required before the cursor starts moving by inputting a desired threshold in the field next to “Distance to edge”.
By default, Head Pointer takes input from your Mac’s built-in camera but you can choose another device by clicking the menu next to Camera. If you have an external camera connected to your Mac, this is where you can tell Head Pointer to use it instead of the built-in webcam.
Last but not least, the feature can be toggled on or off manually or you can create a custom keystroke to have it pause and resume whenever you want.
What do you think about this new accessibility setting in macOS Catalina 10.15.4?
