Android 17 to Introduce Motion Cues Feature to Reduce Motion Sickness
Google is developing 'Motion Cues' for Android 17, a feature designed to alleviate motion sickness by displaying on-screen visual elements that synchronize with vehicle movements.
Google is developing a new feature called 'Motion Cues' for Android 17, aimed at reducing motion sickness experienced by users when using their devices in moving vehicles. This feature displays visual elements, such as dots, on the screen that move in real-time based on data from the phone's motion sensors, aligning the visual input with the vehicle's movements to mitigate sensory conflict.
The concept is similar to Apple's 'Vehicle Motion Cues' introduced in iOS 18, which also uses on-screen indicators to help reduce motion-induced discomfort. However, Android users have had access to similar functionality since 2018 through third-party applications like KineStop, which offers comparable features by displaying moving dots on the screen to counteract motion sickness.
Currently, the implementation of Motion Cues in Android relies on the standard overlay API, which restricts the feature's effectiveness over certain system elements like the status bar and notifications due to security limitations. To address this, Google is reportedly developing a system-level Motion Cues API that would integrate the feature more seamlessly across the operating system. This new API is expected to be part of the upcoming Android 17 release, potentially under the name 'Motion Assist.'
The integration of Motion Cues into Android 17 signifies Google's commitment to enhancing user experience by providing built-in solutions for common issues like motion sickness, offering a native alternative to existing third-party applications.
Source
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