Google has released its September Android update with five new features, including a mode that should help people who get dizzy while using their phone in the car, Gemini’s «visual» assistance for the visually impaired, and the ability to ask AI to remember where you put your passport, keys, or other belongings.
Google has released its September Android update with five new features, including a mode that should help people who get dizzy while using their phone in the car, Gemini’s «visual» assistance for the visually impaired, and the ability to ask AI to remember where you put your passport, keys, or other belongings.
The company announced this on the News from Google blog.
One of the new features is called Motion Assistant. It can help people who get motion sickness while driving. When a person looks at a stationary screen in a car, their eyes and vestibular system can receive conflicting signals about motion, which can cause some people to get motion sickness. Motion Assist adds small moving «bubbles» on top of the screen that react to the car’s movement.
Google says they are designed to bridge the gap between what your eyes see and what your body feels. The feature can be set to automatically turn on when you’re driving, added to your quick settings, and can be customized to change the shape, color, and transparency of the bubbles. It’s available on smartphones with Android 17.
Another feature is Guided Vision in Gemini Live. It is designed primarily for blind people and users with low vision. A person can point to something with their phone’s camera, and Gemini will describe what they see aloud. For example, the AI assistant can read the small text on a product’s packaging.
Additionally, if the camera is pointed in the wrong direction, Gemini will also suggest how to move the phone. Guided Vision will be available on devices with Android 9 and later. However, Google warns that the feature may be buggy and is not intended for navigation or detecting obstacles while moving.
Google is also integrating Gemini with its Find Hub service. Users can tell the assistant where they put something, and it will remember the information. Now you can tell the AI assistant where you put something. For example, «Remember that my passport is in the bedroom drawer.»
Gemini will save this information in Find Hub. If desired, you can add a photo to the entry. Then just ask the AI where the desired item is, or open the Remembered items section. The function will appear on smartphones with Android 16 and newer.
Google Messages also has integration with Google Keep. Now you can create a shared list or note right in a chat, and then let conversation participants edit it without switching between apps. In addition, you can now set your own background, photo, and colors for individual chats in Google Messages. The color of message bubbles will automatically adjust to the selected theme.
Earlier, dev.ua wrote that Google has released Pixel Tag, a tracker for finding lost items that works through the Find Hub network. The device can be attached to keys, a backpack, or a suitcase, and then found from a smartphone.
