5 new features coming to Android — including improvements to Google Messages, Gemini Live, and Find Hub

Google has announced five new Android features These include updates to Google Messages, Gemini Live, and Find Hub, along with the launch of Motion Assist All of these features should either be available now or rolling out soon Android is constantly evolving, and you don’t need to wait for major new

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>Google has announced five new Android features</strong></li><li><strong>These include updates to Google Messages, Gemini Live, and Find Hub, along with the launch of Motion Assist</strong></li><li><strong>All of these features should either be available now or rolling out soon</strong></li></ul><p>Android is constantly evolving, and you don’t need to wait for major new releases to get new features. Indeed, following on from the launch of <a href="https://www.techradar.com/phones/android/7-of-the-best-android-17-features-available-now-from-bubbles-to-screen-reactions">Android 17</a> in June, Google has now announced five new improvements coming to Android.</p><p>These include updates to Google Messages, Gemini Live, and Find Hub, plus a whole new tool to help reduce motion sickness, so there’s quite a lot here.</p><p>You’ll find full details of all five new features below — some of which should be available now, while others are coming soon.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-1-motion-assist"><span>1. Motion Assist</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1531px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="CsNZLkAg7DKG4Mv4PAWXFn" name="Motion Assist" alt="Motion Assist" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CsNZLkAg7DKG4Mv4PAWXFn.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1531" height="861" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Google)</span></figcaption></figure><p>We’ve known for a while that <a href="https://www.techradar.com/phones/android/android-17-could-finally-introduce-motion-cues-to-combat-motion-sickness-matching-the-same-feature-in-ios">Google was working on a feature</a> designed to combat motion sickness, and now it’s finally launching.</p><p>Dubbed Motion Assist, this Android 17 feature places a “subtle bubble overlay” on your screen that’s designed to reduce motion sickness when you’re in a moving vehicle, by moving in time with the vehicle, allowing you to read, browse, and watch videos while in a car or on a bus, train or boat, all without feeling ill.</p><p>You can set Motion Assist to turn on automatically or add it to Quick Settings, and you're able to customize the shape, color, and opacity of the bubbles.</p><p>It remains to be seen how well it will work, but Apple launched a similar tool called <a href="https://www.techradar.com/phones/ios/this-hidden-ios-18-feature-could-save-your-holiday-road-trip">Motion Cues</a> a couple of years ago, and that can make a real difference, so hopefully this will too.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-2-chat-themes-in-google-messages"><span>2. Chat themes in Google Messages</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1550px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="otdsrLo4JCg6Xs4EFU4HA6" name="Google Messages themes" alt="Chat themes in Google Messages" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/otdsrLo4JCg6Xs4EFU4HA6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1550" height="872" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Google)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Google Messages has finally got a feature it probably should have had years ago — customizable chat wallpapers and themes.</p><p>This is actually slightly less new than the other things on this list, as Google already announced the feature and rolled it out a few days ago, but it’s highlighting it again as part of this latest Android announcement.</p><p>With this upgrade, you’ll be able to add more personality to your chats and make them more aesthetically pleasing — but don’t worry, any customizations you add are only visible to you, not the people you’re talking to.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-3-google-keep-in-google-messages"><span>3. Google Keep in Google Messages</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2215px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="rgnyYRvPbGEnmp7TURwvC6" name="Google Keep in Messages" alt="Google Keep in Google Messages" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rgnyYRvPbGEnmp7TURwvC6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2215" height="1246" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Google)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Google Keep is also being added to Google Messages, meaning you can share a note or a list in a chat and allow it to be updated by everyone in that chat.</p><p>That could be useful if, for example, you want to build a grocery list together or brainstorm vacation or gift ideas. It should make for a handy combination of two existing Google apps, and it's starting to roll out now.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-4-remembered-items-in-find-hub"><span>4. Remembered items in Find Hub</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2186px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.27%;"><img id="b8xj68KTmtF293YLeXQS9A" name="Find Hub remembered items" alt="Remembered items in Find Hub" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b8xj68KTmtF293YLeXQS9A.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2186" height="1230" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Google)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Find Hub is soon getting an upgrade that will allow you to make a searchable inventory of your belongings, simply by telling Gemini where they’re stored. It will then remember where they are for you.</p><p>For example, you could say "Hey Gemini, remember in Find Hub that I put my passport in the bottom drawer of my bedside table." Then, when you need to find it in the future, you can simply ask Gemini where it is — or check the new 'remembered items' tab in Find Hub.</p><p>This feature is rolling out soon to phones running Android 16 and above, in countries where Gemini and Find Hub are available.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-5-guided-vision-in-gemini-live"><span>5. Guided vision in Gemini Live</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.27%;"><img id="bAuseXvCY8bqvAhXk2pnmK" name="Guided view" alt="Guided Vision in Gemini Live" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bAuseXvCY8bqvAhXk2pnmK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2200" height="1238" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Google)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Finally, there’s a new visual assistant in Gemini Live that can deliver audio guidance about your surroundings by looking through your camera.</p><p>The goal here is to “extend your ability to read and understand what’s around you,” so this could be useful for example to read fine print on a label, or read a menu in a low-lit restaurant.</p><p>This feature is coming soon to phones running Android 9 and above, in countries where Gemini is available.</p><div data-widget-type="multimodelreview" data-widget-title="Today's best Android phone deals" data-model-name="Samsung Galaxy S26,Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus,Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra,Google Pixel 11,Google Pixel 11 Pro,Google Pixel 11 Pro XL,Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold,Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8,Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra"></div> </article> ]]>