Google rolls out Motion Assist to Android 17 devices

Google is rolling out Motion Assist, a new feature designed to reduce motion sickness for users interacting with their smartphones in moving vehicles such as cars, buses, or trains. The feature works by displaying animated shapes along the edges of the screen that respond in real time to the device’s movement, detected via the accelerometer and gyroscope. This visual feedback helps mitigate the sensory mismatch between what the eyes see on a stationary screen and the physical motion felt by the body.

Motion Assist is being distributed through Google Play services and is available on devices running Android 17 or higher. The rollout includes Google Pixel devices and Samsung Galaxy series, specifically the Fold 8 and Flip 8 models running One UI 9.

Users can customize the appearance of the visual cues, including the shape (circles, squares, pentagons, or diamonds), color, and opacity. The feature can be activated manually via a Quick Settings tile or set to start automatically when the phone detects travel in a moving vehicle.