It looks like Pixel owners will be the first to get their hands on Google’s new Motion Assist feature for Android 17. The new accessibility feature is still rolling out, but reports suggest it has already been spotted on the Pixel 11 Pro XL. It’s unclear when exactly it will appear on all other Pixel devices that support Android 17, but once it does, it could be a huge boon for users dealing with motion sickness.
We got our first look at what Motion Assist could look like on Android in December 2024. However, it took Google almost two years to finally bring the accessibility feature to its users. The Pixels are far from being the first phone to benefit from this feature either. Apple has already launched a similar feature on iPhones. Google’s iteration works the same way, providing small cues on the screen intended to help alleviate the mismatch that often results from using a screen in a moving car. Of course, you should still not use your phone while driving.
People often experience motion sickness when using a phone or tablet while driving in a moving vehicle because of the way the brain registers movements around you and the way your eyes register them. So, because your eyes don’t register your movements when you look at your phone, but your body does, the senses don’t match, which can make you sick.
How to enable Motion Assist in Android 17
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If you’re using a Pixel 11 or other Pixel device running Android 17, you can check the feature in your phone’s main Settings app. To see if you have it, go to Settings, then tap your Google profile at the top and select All services . From there, scroll down to the “Personal and Device Security” section – if Motion Assist is available, you can select it here and then enable it. You will have two options: manual and automatic modes are available. To use the automatic option, be sure to select the option to Start in a moving vehicle. Otherwise, you can add it to your quick settings bar in this menu, then tap the tile to start Motion Assist.
Once Motion Assist is activated, your phone will display a notification that it has been activated. You can also change the colors of the dots themselves, as well as their shape to add a little customization to your experience. However, this is just one of many accessibility features that Android users should try. Many are well hidden, you may not even know they exist.
Features like this can be very useful for people suffering from motion sickness, as they help the brain keep its senses in balance. So even if your phone isn’t moving, your brain will see the moving dots, which align with the vehicle’s movements, and register that everything is moving in sync.
