Google has announced five new updates for Android phones, aimed at improving accessibility, usefulness, and personalisation. The features were detailed in a blog post on Tuesday.
One of the new additions is Motion Assist, designed to help people who feel motion sickness when using their phones in a moving vehicle. It adds a bubble overlay that moves in response to the vehicle's motion, which may reduce the disconnect between what users see and what their bodies feel. Users can set it to turn on automatically, add it to Quick Settings, and adjust the bubble's shape, colour, and transparency. Google says the feature is available to Android 17 users.
Another feature, Guided Vision, is aimed at blind and low-vision users. It combines the phone's camera with Gemini to help with tasks such as reading small print on a food label or identifying objects around the house. It can also provide voice guidance to help position the camera correctly. Guided Vision will be available on phones running Android 9 and newer in countries where Gemini is available.
Google is also adding a 'remembered items' section in Find Hub, allowing users to tell Gemini where they have stored items, such as a passport in a bedroom drawer, and attach a photo for easier identification. Additionally, Google Messages will get a Google Keep integration for sharing and editing lists within conversations, and users will be able to customise individual chats with backgrounds, photos, and colours.