Google adds Motion Assist and Guided Vision in new Android updates

In short: Google is rolling out five Android updates focused on accessibility, reminders, and messaging customization.

What happened

Google announced five new Android features in a Tuesday update. The company says the changes are meant to make Android phones easier to use and more personal.

One update is called Motion Assist. It is designed for people who feel sick when using a phone in a moving car or bus. The feature adds a floating bubble on the screen that moves with the vehicle, like a visual reference point (similar to looking at the horizon).

Google is also adding Guided Vision for blind and low-vision users. It uses the phone’s camera and Gemini, Google’s AI assistant (an AI assistant is software that can understand requests and respond in natural language). Guided Vision can help with tasks like reading small print on labels, checking a menu in low light, or identifying items around the home. It can also give voice tips if the camera is pointed the wrong way.

Another feature adds a “remembered items” section in Find Hub. Users can tell Gemini where they put something, like a passport in a drawer, and can add a photo to help find it later.

Google Messages is also getting changes. Users will be able to customize chats with backgrounds, photos, and colors. Messages will also connect with Google Keep so people can share and edit lists and notes inside a conversation.

Why it matters

These updates focus on everyday problems, like motion sickness, reading small text, and keeping track of important items. They also show how Google is building more AI features into basic phone tools that many people use every day.

Source: TechCrunch AI