Android 17 rolls out Motion Assist for motion sickness

Looking at a smartphone while a bus sways can turn the stomach. Google’s Motion Assist for Android 17 is now available on an editorial device: Subtle bubbles at the left and right edges of the screen move in real time with the vehicle.

The idea addresses a simple contradiction. The eyes see a stationary screen while the surroundings are moving. According to Google, the animated bubbles are intended to offset this gap between what users see and the vehicle’s movement, helping with motion sickness.

Android 17 is required. On Pixel devices, the feature can be found in the user’s profile under “Google services and preferences”; on other devices, it is reportedly located under “Google,” in both cases within “Personal safety & device safety.” A Quick Settings tile can make access faster. Users can also have Motion Assist activate automatically as soon as the smartphone detects a car, bus or train.

What does this change in practice? People who feel dizzy or nauseated when looking at their phone during a journey now have assistance built directly into the system. The appearance can be customized: The bubbles’ shape, color and opacity can be changed, and users can choose to have the shape and color switch randomly every few seconds.

The rollout has begun, but the use described so far involves an editorial device. Google describes the feature’s purpose as assistance; heise online does not cite an independent success rate. For iPhone users, the principle is less new: Apple has offered a similar feature since iOS 18.