One of my all-time favorite iPhone features is Vehicle Motion Cues, which, when enabled, fights back against motion sickness through the use of on-screen dots. These various dots move in real time and match the movement of the car or other vehicle you’re currently in, helping normalize what your eyes are seeing and what your body is feeling.
Over on Android, third-party equivalents like KineStop have offered similar functionality for some time now, but I’ve nevertheless been yearning for Google to build the functionality natively into its operating system for good measure. That time has finally come, and it’s officially dubbed Motion Assist. The feature is rolling out to not only Pixel phones running Android 17, but also on Samsung Galaxy handsets, too.
Motion Assist is rolling out via a Google Play Services update, rather than a traditional over-the-air (OTA) software update. If you don’t see the feature on your Pixel or Galaxy phone, make sure you’re running version 26.33.32 or newer of Google Play services.
Once up and running, Motion Assist can be tweaked to your liking, and a dedicated Quick Settings tile can also be added for easy access to the feature. When enabled, your compatible Android phone will display dots automatically when in-vehicle movement is detected, whether it be a car, a bus, or a train. It intelligently relies on your phone’s built-in sensors to get the job done, and, when no more movement is detected, the dots simply disappear on their own.
Quiz
Google Pixel & Android 16
Trivia Challenge
From Pixel’s humble beginnings to Android 16’s boldest features — how well do you really know Google’s smartphone story?
Pixel HistoryAndroid 16FeaturesHardwareRivals
What year did Google launch the very first Pixel smartphone?
Correct! The original Google Pixel and Pixel XL launched on October 4, 2016, marking Google’s shift from the Nexus line to a fully Google-branded device. It was the first phone to ship with Google Assistant built in.
Not quite — the first Google Pixel arrived in October 2016. Before that, Google used the Nexus branding for its flagship Android devices, with partners like LG and Huawei manufacturing them.
What other iPhone-inspired feature did Android 16 finally bring to Google Pixel devices, long available on iOS?
Correct! Android 16 introduced Live Updates — Google’s equivalent of Apple’s Live Activities — bringing real-time dynamic information like delivery tracking and ride-sharing status directly to the Pixel lock screen and notification area. iPhone users have enjoyed Live Activities since iOS 16 in 2022.
Not quite. The feature in question is Live Updates, Android 16’s answer to Apple’s Live Activities introduced in iOS 16. It lets apps push real-time status updates — like food delivery progress — directly to the lock screen, something Pixel users had been waiting years for.
Android 16 broke with recent tradition by targeting an unusually early release window. When was it expected to officially launch?
Correct! Android 16 was scheduled for a Q2 2025 release — much earlier than the traditional autumn launch cadence Google had followed for years. This shift was designed to better align major releases with Google I/O and the broader Pixel hardware cycle.
Not quite. Android 16 targeted a Q2 2025 release, breaking away from the September/October tradition Google had maintained for several years. The earlier launch window was intended to sync more cleanly with Google I/O announcements and Pixel device releases.
Which Google-designed chip powers the Pixel 9 series, released in 2024?
Correct! The Pixel 9 lineup is powered by the Tensor G4, Google’s fourth-generation custom silicon developed in partnership with Samsung. It brought improved efficiency and enhanced on-device AI performance compared to the G3 found in the Pixel 8 series.
Not quite — the Pixel 9 uses the Tensor G4. Google has been developing its own Tensor chips since the Pixel 6 in 2021, gradually improving AI capabilities and power efficiency with each generation rather than relying on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors.
Apple’s Live Activities feature, which Android 16 is now rivalling, was first introduced in which version of iOS?
Correct! Apple introduced Live Activities with iOS 16 in September 2022, initially rolling out to developers and expanding with the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro. It gave apps a new way to surface real-time information without users having to open them.
Not quite — Live Activities debuted in iOS 16 back in 2022. The feature gained extra prominence with the Dynamic Island introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro, which turned the pill-shaped cutout into an interactive real-time information hub.
Before the Pixel line existed, what was the name of Google’s previous flagship Android smartphone series?
Correct! The Nexus line ran from 2010 to 2015 and featured devices made by various manufacturers including HTC, Samsung, LG, and Huawei. It was designed to showcase stock Android and receive the fastest OS updates, a tradition Pixel later inherited and expanded.
The correct answer is Nexus. Google’s Nexus program ran for several years with hardware partners building the devices to Google’s specifications. When the Pixel line launched in 2016, Google took full control of both hardware and software design for the first time.
Android 16 introduced a major visual overhaul to the Android design language. What is the name of this updated design system?
Correct! Material 3 Expressive is Google’s updated design philosophy accompanying Android 16, emphasising bolder colours, more dynamic animations, and stronger emotional resonance in UI elements. Google described it as the most researched design update it had ever undertaken.
Not quite — the design system is called Material 3 Expressive. Google unveiled it alongside Android 16 as a significant evolution of its Material You language, focusing on personality, motion, and more vibrant visual expression across the Android interface.
Google Pixel phones have long been celebrated for their camera software. What is the name of the AI-powered Pixel photo editing tool that can remove unwanted objects from images?
Correct! Magic Eraser launched with the Pixel 6 in 2021 and quickly became one of the most talked-about Pixel camera features. It uses AI to detect and remove distracting objects or people from photos, automatically filling in the background in a natural-looking way.
The correct answer is Magic Eraser, introduced with the Pixel 6 in 2021. It was one of Google’s first major showcases of on-device AI in photography, and competitors including Samsung and Apple have since introduced similar tools in their own camera apps.
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Motion Assist finally hits the masses
A feature that comes in clutch
Much like with Apple’s Vehicle Motion Cues feature, Motion Assist on Android genuinely works as advertised. If you’re susceptible to motion sickness, having those unassuming dots displayed on your screen can go a long way in making your ride feel more comfortable. For extended road trips, Motion Assist is an absolute must in my books, especially if you plan on staring at your phone screen for an extended period of time while on the road.
I appreciate how configurable Motion Assist is in its implementation, with there being options to adjust dot color, shape, and opacity. This added flexibility here is appreciated, with these particular settings being notably absent on the iPhone’s version of the feature. I especially enjoy having the option to set the dot color to match my system theme (which samples colors from my wallpaper), and the randomization toggle is a fun addition as well.
On the whole, Motion Assist looks and functions like a highly polished feature right from the get-go, even in its initial release state. Of course, whether you find value in its inclusion within the Android OS will depend on how susceptible you are to motion sickness, but it’s one of those software tools that’s nice to have as an option even if in-vehicle movement doesn’t personally cause you any nausea.
How to enable Motion Assist
It’s buried away deep within Settings
To enable Motion Assist on your Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone, follow these steps:
- Launch the Settings application.
- Tap or click on your profile name, followed by All services.
- From here, navigate to Personal & device safety > Motion assist.
- Lastly, toggle on Start in a moving vehicle.
Optionally, you can customize the look and behavior of Motion Assist’s moving shapes by navigating to Options > Customize. You can also add a Quick Settings tile by tapping or clicking on Add tile to Quick Settings > Add tile > Got it. You get two options here: a small 1×1 tile, or a larger 2×1 tile.
As mentioned, Motion Assist is currently limited to Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy handsets running Android 17 and above, and Google Play Services version 26.33.32 or newer. If you can’t find Motion Assist listed under Personal & device safety, restarting your phone is likely to force the feature to appear. You can also manually update Google Play Services via Settings > Apps > See all apps > Google Play Services > App details in store > Update.
With how useful Motion Assist is as a whole, I can’t wait for it to become broadly available across the entirety of the Android device ecosystem. I’m happy that Google has finally matched Apple when it comes to preventing motion sickness, and I imagine many users will find the feature incredibly helpful during commutes. It’s curious to see it buried away so deep within Settings, however, and I can’t help but wonder if it’ll make its way to, say, display settings in a future update.
