Android's "Motion Cues": Combating Motion Sickness in Vehicles

Android's "Motion Cues" Aims to Reduce Motion Sickness

Google is developing a feature called "Motion Cues" to alleviate motion sickness induced by using devices in moving vehicles. Similar to Apple's Vehicle Motion Cues in iOS 18, this feature aims to minimize discomfort while using a phone in a car or other transport. Google Maps and other apps could benefit from this.

How Motion Cues Works

Motion Cues adds approximately 14 pairs of small dots on the screen that move in sync with the phone's motion, providing a visual reference to the vehicle's movement. This feature, discovered through APK dissection of the Google Play Store beta (v24.29.32), is not yet publicly available. It includes an auto-enable toggle when Android detects the user is in a vehicle. Gemini UI may also incorporate this feature.

Current Status and Potential

While promising, Motion Cues is still under development. The "Auto-enable when Driving" setting suggests it's not yet finalized, as using a device while driving is discouraged. The feature requires permission to display over other apps, ensuring the moving dots are always visible. It remains unclear when Motion Cues will officially launch for Android. For insights on other upcoming phones, see Top Smartphones of 2024.