Google has started rolling out its Motion Assist feature to reduce nausea and motion sickness that can occur when using an Android phone in a moving vehicle. The feature, offered within the scope of Android 17, adds visual indicators to the edges of the phone’s screen that shift in harmony with the movements of the vehicle. In this way, it is aimed to reduce the discrepancy between the fixed image received by the eyes from the screen and the movement perceived by the inner ear. According to information provided by Android Authority, the distribution is progressing gradually and the feature has started to appear on some Pixel phones first. Google’s solution is very similar in terms of its working logic to the Vehicle Motion Cues feature that Apple introduced in 2024.
Different information sent to the brain by the visual system and the balance system may be effective in the emergence of motion sickness. For example, while the eyes of a person looking at the phone in the passenger seat of the car see a largely stationary screen, the inner ear detects whether the car is cornering, accelerating or slowing down. The incompatibility between these two information can cause dizziness, nausea and general discomfort in some people. Motion Assist aims to reduce this difference by providing environmental visual cues without requiring the user to completely take their eyes off the screen. There is also research showing that similar methods can reduce the effects of motion sickness, which explains why Google and Apple have adopted similar approaches on mobile devices.
Android 17 Motion Assist reflects the movement of the vehicle on the screen
Motion Assist detects the movement of the vehicle using data from the phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope sensors and moves the indicators placed around the screen accordingly. When the car turns right, the dots on the screen shift in the opposite direction, that is, to the left. When the vehicle brakes, the movement of the indicators is arranged to visually reflect the physical change that occurs during deceleration. Since these gestures are displayed at the edges of the screen rather than being placed directly in the middle of the content area, they are intended to affect phone usage as little as possible. The user can thus continue to receive additional visual references to the vehicle’s movement while reading messages, surfing the Internet or using another application.
Google doesn’t limit the feature to a uniform visual layout. Users can change the transparency level of the motion indicators and also choose from different shape and color options. These settings can be especially useful for those who find indicators distracting or want to make them less visible on certain screen contents. In addition, Motion Assist can be set to activate automatically when the phone detects that it is in a moving vehicle. Those who do not want to use automatic detection can turn the feature on and off whenever they need, via the box in Android’s Quick Settings section.
The rollout of Motion Assist does not appear to be complete on all compatible devices yet. While it is stated that the feature is not yet available on the two Pixel phones checked by the source, it is reported that the setting is located under the profile and All Services section in Google Settings on the accessed devices. This indicates that the server-side or phased distribution approach that Google sometimes prefers in Android 17 features is used here as well. Therefore, while Motion Assist may appear on one of the two Pixel devices running the same Android version, it may not be active yet on the other. For those who want to check the availability of the feature, keeping the system and Google Play system updates up to date may also be beneficial for access as the deployment is completed.
A similar solution on Apple’s side was introduced in 2024 with iOS 18 under the name Vehicle Motion Cues. Apple’s application also has animated dots on the edges of the screen that react to the movements of the vehicle, and the system can be activated automatically when it detects that the car is occupied. Google has brought a similar approach with Motion Assist to Android, making this method a built-in accessibility and usage option in both major mobile operating systems. However, it is not possible to say that the feature will completely eliminate motion sickness in everyone; The severity and triggers of motion sickness may vary from person to person. Still, the ability to customize the indicators on the edge of the screen, the automatic activation option, and easy access via Quick Settings make Motion Assist a practical option to try for Android users who have difficulty using their phones while traveling.
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