Google’s September Android Drop brings Gemini-powered item tracking and motion sickness relief

Google has released its September Android feature drop, introducing a suite of updates designed to enhance utility and accessibility across the ecosystem. While recent updates have been criticised for offering limited new functionality beyond Gemini summaries and chat functions, this release includes several non-AI improvements alongside the company’s artificial intelligence integrations. The features are rolling out to a wider range of devices, though specific operating system versions determine which tools are available.

A headline addition is the ability to log the location of items that do not have a dedicated tracker tag. For users on Android 16 or higher, Gemini can now record where an object is stored, such as a passport in a drawer, and attach a photo to help identify it later. This information is stored in Find Hub, a service previously used primarily for locating phones, earbuds, and dedicated tracker tags. Users can ask Gemini to recall this information or check the app directly when they forget where an item is placed.

In a significant move for accessibility, Gemini Live is introducing a feature called Guided Vision. This tool helps blind and low-vision users locate objects within the camera frame or extract text from dimly lit environments, such as reading a menu in a restaurant. Gemini interprets the camera feed to assist users in finding items and can even indicate the distance between the user’s hand and the target object. Guided Vision will be available on phones running Android 9 Pie and newer, specifically in countries where the Gemini model is already accessible.

Google Messages, which has become the default texting app on most Android phones, is also receiving new integrations. Users can now access Google Keep directly from a conversation to create a shared note, which appears as an overlay so users do not have to leave the messaging app. Additionally, the app is adding a chat theming feature that allows users to set a system wallpaper or a photo from their camera roll for a specific thread. The app will automatically adjust text bubble colours based on the image, or users can set a colour manually.

The final major element of the drop is the officialisation of Motion Assist for Android 17. This feature, which began appearing on some phones last week, uses floating dots on the screen that move in response to vehicle motion to alleviate motion sickness. The approach mirrors Apple’s "Vehicle Motion Cues," introduced in 2024, which aims to disrupt the sensory mismatch that causes nausea. Motion Assist is accessible via Google Services settings or a Quick Settings tile, and can be configured to turn on automatically when the phone detects it is in a moving vehicle.

Despite being an official feature of Android 17, the selection of devices currently supporting Motion Assist is described as rather narrow. Google states that the features in this drop are coming to phones "soon," a timeline that could range from days to weeks for full visibility across the supported device base.