Google is developing an Android feature aimed at minimizing motion sickness when using your phone.

      Google's forthcoming Motion Cues feature aims to enhance phone usability while traveling in vehicles.

      Google is developing a native solution for one of the most frustrating aspects of phone use: feeling carsick while browsing in the back of an Uber. This feature, tentatively named Motion Cues, is expected to be included in a future update, likely Android 17, and focuses on facilitating reading or video watching without inducing nausea.

      What Google Is Developing

      What’s in the works: Motion Cues represents Google's effort to address "sensory conflict." This term refers to the phenomenon where your eyes perceive stillness (looking at a screen), while your inner ear detects motion (jostling in a car), which can lead to feelings of nausea. The solution involves adding small animated dots along the edges of the screen that move in sync with the vehicle's motion. By providing a visual reference that corresponds with the physical sensations of movement, it helps to calm the brain.

      This isn't a novel concept. Apple introduced a similar feature, “Vehicle Motion Cues,” in iOS 18, and the Android app KineStop has been implementing this since 2018. However, Google aims to integrate it directly into the operating system, eliminating the need for third-party applications.

      Developers have discovered Motion Cues within recent Android Canary builds, although it is currently disabled. The test version has a significant flaw: it employs a standard overlay, causing the dots to disappear when notifications are pulled down, Settings are accessed, or the lock screen is viewed. This undermines the purpose if the "cure" vanishes frequently during phone use.

      The Importance and Next Steps

      Why this matters: Google appears to be addressing the overlay issue by creating a dedicated Motion Cues API directly within SystemUI—the fundamental component of Android that manages the status bar and navigation. This is significant because it avoids the typical security limitations that prevent apps from displaying content over sensitive screens. By implementing it at the system level, the motion dots will remain visible, regardless of the activity on your phone.

      They are also exercising strict control over this feature. Only privileged system apps will have access to this API, ensuring that random, spammy apps cannot take over your display. This creates a secure environment for accessibility tools.

      Why you should pay attention: If you're someone who immediately needs to stow away your phone when the car starts moving, this development could be transformative. It might allow you to finish a text, read an article, or watch videos on your commute without the anxiety of needing a barf bag. It converts idle time spent in transit into productive time.

      What’s next: Since this requires significant alterations to the operating system, it will likely necessitate a comprehensive OS update. We might see it surface in a late Android 16 update, but Android 17 seems like the more prudent expectation. When it launches, it’s possible Google will rename it to something akin to “Motion Assist” and include it with the anticipated Transit mode, designed to adjust your phone's settings upon detecting travel. Until then, you can download KineStop from the Play Store if you need immediate relief.

      Moinak Pal has been involved in the technology sector, covering both consumer technology and automotive innovations.

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