Google Rolls Out Android Accessibility Updates as it Plays Catch-up with Apple

Google announced five new updates on Tuesday intended to increase the personalization, utility, and accessibility of Android devices, as TechCrunch first reported. These updates include tools to mitigate motion sickness, assistance for blind and low-vision users, a memory aid for misplaced items, and expanded customization for Google Messages.

Among the most notable additions is "Motion Assist," a tool specifically for users who experience motion sickness while using their phones in moving vehicles. TechCrunch reports that the feature utilizes a bubble overlay on the screen that reacts to the vehicle's motion to reduce the sensory disconnect between a user's physical feeling and their visual input. Users running Android 17 can customize the bubble's transparency, color, and shape, or set the feature to activate automatically via Quick Settings. TechCrunch notes that this is not a novel concept, as Apple released "Vehicle Motion Cues" in 2024, which employs animated dots around the display edges for a similar purpose.

Google is also launching "Guided Vision" to support blind and low-vision users. By integrating the device camera with Gemini, the tool helps users identify household objects, read menus in low-light environments, or decipher small print on food labels. The feature provides voice prompts to help users center objects or pan the camera. TechCrunch reports that Guided Vision will be available in regions where Gemini is supported for devices running Android 9 and newer.

Further updates leverage Gemini to help users track belongings. A new "remembered items" section within Find Hub allows users to tell Gemini where an object is located—such as a passport in a bedroom drawer—and attach a photo for easier identification.

Finally, Google is introducing personalization options for Google Messages, allowing users to change colors, photos, and backgrounds for individual chats, with text bubbles matching the theme. TechCrunch notes that Apple implemented a similar custom background feature for its Messages app last year. Additionally, Google is integrating Google Keep into Google Messages to enable the sharing and editing of vacation notes or grocery lists within conversations.