For families and commuters who often find themselves scrolling on a phone while riding in a car, Google has begun delivering a new Android tool called Motion Assist. The feature places moving dots along the edges of the display that react to the vehicle’s motion, giving the eyes a visual cue that matches what the inner ear feels.

How Motion Assist works

The system uses the phone’s built‑in accelerometer and gyroscope to detect changes in speed or direction. As the car turns or accelerates, the on‑screen dots shift accordingly, helping to reduce the sensory conflict that the CDC says can cause nausea or dizziness.

Users can customize the shape, size, color and opacity of the cues, and they may enable automatic activation when the phone detects it is in a moving vehicle. A Quick Settings tile also lets people turn the feature on or off manually.

Availability

Motion Assist is currently appearing on select Pixel devices running Android 17 via Google Play services. Because the rollout is staged, some users with the same OS version may not see the option yet. Google advises checking for the latest system update and the Google Play system update, then restarting the phone.

If the feature is still missing after updating, users simply need to wait for Google to enable it on their specific device.

Comparison with Apple

Apple introduced a similar tool, Vehicle Motion Cues, with iOS 18 in 2024. Both platforms let users adjust the visual pattern and color, and both recommend using the feature only as a passenger, not while driving.

Practical tips

While Motion Assist may help, it is not a guaranteed cure. The CDC also suggests looking toward the horizon or listening to audio content instead of focusing on a screen. For those who continue to feel queasy, putting the phone down remains a safe option.

Overall, Motion Assist represents a modest but useful use of existing phone sensors to address a common annoyance for many families on the road.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.