Motion sickness is a common issue, especially for those who frequently use smartphones and tablets while travelling. While reading a book or watching a video on your phone during a trip may be entertaining, the physical motion of the vehicle can lead to discomfort or even nausea. To combat this, Google is developing a new feature for Android called Motion Cues. It is designed to reduce motion sickness during phone use in moving vehicles.

Motion Cues is a feature that provides visual indicators of a vehicle movement by displaying animated dots on the screen. These dots move in sync with the direction of the vehicle. This helps to align the user’s visual perception with the motion they feel. The idea is to reduce the sensory conflict between what the eyes see on the screen and the motion sensed by the inner ear, which is often the cause of motion sickness​.

When the motion cues feature is activated, small black dots appear on the edges of the screen. The dots mimic the direction of the vehicle motion whether it’s turning right, left or moving forward. This subtle visual cue helps the brain better process the motion without overwhelming the user’s experience. It is designed to be unobtrusive so that users can continue using their phone without disruption while still benefiting from the motion-sensing feedback.