On Tuesday, Google detailed five new updates aimed at making Android phones more accessible, useful, and personalized. The highlight of the announcement is Motion Assist, a feature that places a bubble overlay on the screen that moves in response to the vehicle's motion, helping to reduce the sensory disconnect between what users see and what their bodies feel. The concept is similar to Apple's 'Vehicle Motion Cues', introduced in 2024 for iPhones. Users can set Motion Assist to activate automatically, add it to Quick Settings, and customize the bubble's shape, colour and transparency. Google says the feature is available to users running Android 17.
Another key update is Guided Vision, designed with blind and low-vision users in mind. It combines the phone's camera with Google's Gemini AI to assist with tasks such as reading small print on a food label, viewing a menu in a dark restaurant, or identifying objects around the home. The feature can also provide voice guidance when the camera is not positioned correctly, telling users to move the phone, pan around, or centre an object. Guided Vision is rolling out to phones that support it.
Google also announced additional updates, though details were more limited: a tool to help users remember where they left important items, and new ways to personalise Google Messages. While some of these features see Google catching up to Apple, others specifically leverage Gemini for enhanced functionality.