Google is rolling out a new Motion Assist feature with Android 17, designed to help reduce motion sickness for people who use their smartphones while travelling in cars and other moving vehicles. The feature is currently appearing gradually, with Google Pixel devices receiving it first.
How Android 17 Motion Assist Works
Motion Assist uses the phone's sensors to detect movement and displays animated visual cues around the edges of the screen. These cues move in response to the vehicle's motion, providing the eyes with additional visual information that corresponds to what the body is experiencing.
For example, the indicators can shift when the vehicle turns, accelerates or brakes. The aim is to reduce the mismatch between visual and physical motion that can contribute to motion sickness.
The technology is similar in concept to Apple's Vehicle Motion Cues, which uses moving dots around the edges of the display to help users who experience nausea while looking at their phones in moving vehicles.
Pixel Phones Get The Feature First
Google is initially rolling out Motion Assist to Pixel smartphones running Android 17. However, availability is being phased in, meaning the feature may not appear on every compatible Pixel device immediately. Reports indicate that some newer Pixel models have already started receiving it.
Android 17 itself began rolling out to Pixel devices earlier this year, with other eligible Android smartphones expected to receive the operating system throughout 2026.
Automatic And Manual Controls
One of the useful aspects of Motion Assist is that users don't necessarily have to activate it every time they travel.
The feature can be configured to automatically turn on when the phone detects that it is inside a moving vehicle. Users can also add a Motion Assist tile to Quick Settings for convenient manual activation or deactivation.
Google also provides customization options for the visual indicators, including adjustments to their appearance.
A Useful Android 17 Addition
Motion Assist is another example of Google using smartphone sensors and software to address everyday usability problems. While it may not eliminate motion sickness for everyone, the feature could prove useful for people who frequently read messages, browse the web or watch content while travelling.
The rollout also adds another accessibility-oriented feature to Android's growing collection of tools designed to make smartphones more comfortable to use.
