If you struggle with getting motion sickness while you use your phone in a moving vehicle, Android is finally throwing you a lifeline.
Android Authority noticed that an Android 17 feature called Motion Assist has started to roll out to Pixel 11 phones.
How Motion Assist works
Motion Assist uses a technique that has been proven to reduce and, in some cases, eliminate motion sickness that can occur while reading on a phone in a moving vehicle.
It works by placing dots around the perimeter of the screen that move in response to the motion of the car using signals from the phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope. The dots move in the opposite direction than the car.
This solution to motion sickness is most associated with Apple’s Vehicle Motion Cues, which basically works the same as Motion Assist and was introduced in 2024.
A long history on Android
But well before Vehicle Motion Cues, in 2019, researchers at the University of Salzburg in Austria created and tested an Android app called Bubble Margin using the same principles. In a paper on the findings, the team said the app had “mitigating effects on motion sickness.” However, the app was not released to the public.
Since then, some Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus (RIP) phones have Motion Cues. But there has been nothing native to Android until Motion Assist.
However, for now the rollout is very limited. AP tried to access Motion Assist on three phones—a Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL—and none had the feature.
A way to try it now
To check for it, though, you can go to Settings > Your profile > All services > Personal & device safety > Motion Assist. If it’s not available for you, there is another option.
There’s a Motion Cues app in the Play Store that works the same. It has over 100,000 downloads, a 3.6 rating, and many positive reviews.
