Motion Assist on Android 17: how to turn it on to help with motion sickness

Reading or scrolling in the back of a car makes some people feel ill, because the eyes see a still screen while the body feels the road. Google added a setting for this in Android 17 called Motion assist. It is easy to miss, because it sits in a menu many people never open, and it does not always start on its own. Here is where it is, how to set it up so it works, and what we could and could not confirm.

What is Motion assist on Android 17?

Google's Android Help page says Motion assist shows small, subtle visual bubbles along the screen edges while you ride as a passenger. The bubbles move in real time using the phone's motion sensors and match the vehicle's turns, speed changes and braking. The idea is to help your eyes and body agree, which can reduce motion sickness while you use your phone. Google's September Android Drop post describes it the same way: a subtle bubble overlay that moves with the vehicle.

Why does motion sickness happen in a car?

Google's explanation is the one on its help page: the bubbles are meant to help your eyes and body agree. When you read in a moving car, your eyes see a screen that is not moving, while your inner ear feels the car turn and brake. That mismatch is what makes some people feel ill. Motion assist adds moving bubbles so that what you see changes along with what you feel.

What do you need to use it?

• Android 17 or higher.
• Google Play Services updated.
• Google's page does not list which phone models have it, so check the setting on your own phone.

If you are not on Android 17 yet, read how to update an Android phone, or our guide on why an Android 17 update does not show.

How to find Motion assist

How to turn Motion assist on

Google recommends two ways to turn it on, and it suggests using both.

• Automatic: in the Motion assist settings, turn on Start in a moving vehicle. The first time you do this, Android offers to add the Motion assist tile to Quick Settings.
• Manual: tap Add tile to Quick Settings on the Motion assist page and choose a Small tile or a Large tile. You can also add it from the Quick Settings edit menu. Then swipe down from the top at any time to switch it on.

Why you should add the Quick Settings tile

Google's help page says your device may not always be able to detect that you are in a moving vehicle. Automatic start is therefore not guaranteed. That is why Google recommends the tile as well. If you feel queasy and the bubbles have not appeared, open Quick Settings and tap the tile.

How to turn it off for a ride

When automatic detection starts Motion assist, you get a silent notification. Tap that notification to turn Motion assist off for the current session. To stop it from ever starting by itself, turn off Start in a moving vehicle in the Motion assist settings.

How to change how the bubbles look

How to edit the Quick Settings tile

Google offers a Small tile and a Large tile. The large tile is easier to hit with a thumb if you are already queasy, and the small one leaves room for your other tiles. You can also add the tile from the Quick Settings edit menu, the same place where you rearrange your other tiles. After you add it, check that it sits in the first page of tiles so that one swipe down is enough.

Try it on a short trip first

Do not wait for a long journey to find out how it feels. On a short ride, turn it on and look at it before you start reading. Check three things: that the bubbles are not too dark or too bright for your eyes, that the shape is not distracting, and that the notification appears when the car starts moving. Then change Opacity, Color Theme or Shape in Customize until it feels comfortable. Randomization changes the look every few seconds, so leave it off if constant change bothers you.

Other habits that help, and what they are not

These are general suggestions that people commonly share, not Google's advice, and they are not medical advice. Sit facing forward if you can. Look at the horizon or the road ahead between screen breaks. Keep the phone at eye level rather than low in your lap. Open a window for fresh air. Take a break from the screen when you feel the first signs. Motion assist is one tool, and it works best alongside habits like these.

Motion assist is not working: what to check

• Is the setting there? Search Settings for Motion assist. If it is missing, the phone may not be on Android 17 or may not have it yet.
• Add the tile. Auto detection can miss a ride, as Google says.
• Update Google Play Services and the system. Google lists updated Play Services as a requirement.
• Check Start in a moving vehicle. If it is off, only the tile starts the feature.
• Try Customize. If the bubbles are hard to see, raise the opacity or change the color.

Is Motion assist the same as Bubbles?

No. Android 17 also has a feature called Bubbles that turns an app into a floating window, and our guide to using Bubbles on a Pixel covers it. The two share a word and little else. Motion assist adds small dots or shapes to the screen edges to reduce motion sickness. Bubbles lets you float an app over another app.

What if you feel worse?

Turn Motion assist off from the notification or the Quick Settings tile, put the phone away and look out of the window. Not every remedy works for every person. If you often feel unwell in vehicles, or the symptoms are severe, ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice. Motion assist is a setting on a phone, not a treatment.

Does Motion assist work? What we do not know

Google describes the idea, but the pages we read give no study results or success rate, so we cannot say how many people it helps. It is a visual aid, not a treatment. If you get motion sickness often, speak to a doctor or pharmacist. And as our own advice, not Google's: use it as a passenger. A phone is not for the person driving.

What is the iPhone version?

Apple has a similar feature called Vehicle Motion Cues, described on a page titled Use iPhone more comfortably while riding in a vehicle. We could only read the title of that page, not its steps, so we are not giving a menu path here. Search for Vehicle Motion Cues in your iPhone settings or open that Apple page for the steps.

Which Android phones will get it?

Google's help page says Android 17 or higher and does not list brands or models, so we cannot give you a list. The only reliable test is to search Settings for Motion assist on your own phone. For news on your model, see the latest iOS and Android updates.