Key facts
- Google's Motion Assist feature aims to reduce motion sickness for smartphone users in moving vehicles.
- The feature adds small, moving dots to the edges of the screen.
- These dots synchronize with the phone's accelerometer and gyroscope to mimic real-world visual motion.
- Motion Assist is rolling out to Pixel phones running Android 17 via Play Services.
- Apple previously introduced a similar feature called Motion Cues on iPhones.
Google has begun a phased rollout of its Motion Assist feature for Android devices, designed to alleviate motion sickness experienced by users in moving vehicles. This feature aims to bridge the sensory gap between what the inner ear perceives and what the eyes see, a common cause of nausea when using a phone while traveling.
Motion Assist functions by displaying small, dynamic dots around the edges of the smartphone screen. These dots are synchronized with the phone's accelerometer and gyroscope, allowing them to move in accordance with the vehicle's motion. For instance, they will move down the screen when the vehicle is moving forward or to the left when turning right, simulating how objects would naturally appear to move in one's peripheral vision.