Your phone can now remember that you left your keys in the top drawer, or display moving elements designed to help a passenger with motion sickness in a car. The catch is that Android’s September updates are not arriving for everyone at once. Some require Android 17, others require Gemini support, and Google is still gradually rolling out others.
Motion sickness assistance can only be enabled on a device running Android 17 or later. Remembering stored items requires Android 16, Gemini, Find Hub and a supported account, while the feature is being rolled out gradually. Sharing Google Keep notes through Google Messages has already begun rolling out, but not every user may see the button yet.
Which features are already available and which ones require waiting
As of 14 September 2026, the availability of the three new features varies:
- Motion Assist can be used on a compatible phone running Android 17 or later with up-to-date Google Play services.
- Google Keep notes in Google Messages began rolling out on 1 September 2026. Google has not stated when all supported devices and regions will receive them.
- Remembered items in Find Hub were announced by Google as a feature coming “soon.” An official guide already exists, but that does not mean the tab will appear for every account.
Regional differences may apply especially to Gemini and Find Hub. Based on the available materials, it therefore cannot be guaranteed that all three options are already working for every Slovak account.
How to turn on in-car motion sickness assistance
The Motion Assist feature is intended for passengers who use their phone while travelling. It is not intended for drivers, and enabling it obviously does not make using a mobile phone behind the wheel safe. If you are wondering why people feel sick more often in the back seat than in the front, it is mainly related to the difference between what the eyes see and the movement perceived by the body.
What you need
- a phone with Android 17 or later,
- up-to-date Google Play services,
- use the phone as a passenger, not as a driver.
You can check the system version in Settings, in the section with phone information. The names and locations of items may vary slightly depending on the device manufacturer and system language.
How to enable Motion Assist
- Open Settings.
- Tap your user profile.
- Open All services (All services).
- Go to Personal safety and device security.
- Select Motion Assist and turn the feature on.
If you cannot find the item in the menu, type “Motion Assist” into the Settings search field. If it does not appear in the results either, the most likely reason is an older Android version or a missing Google Play services update.
The feature can be set to start automatically after detecting a moving vehicle. However, automatic detection may not work on every journey, so you can also add a toggle to Quick Settings and enable the assistance manually.
You can adjust the transparency of the displayed elements, the colour theme, their shape, and random changes of colours or shapes. If the elements are too distracting, first try reducing their prominence rather than turning the feature off completely.
How to teach Gemini where you put things
This new feature is not a replacement for a location tracker. The phone does not track the location of your keys, wallet or documents in real time. It only stores information that you tell it or enter manually — for example, that the spare key is in a blue box in the cupboard.
Requirements for use
To remember items, you need:
- Android 16 or later,
- the Gemini and Find Hub apps,
- the same Google account in both apps,
- Gemini set as the default digital assistant,
- a supported account and region.
Even if all requirements are met, the tab may be missing because Google is rolling out the feature gradually.
Saving an item by voice
Activate Gemini and say which item it should remember and where it is located. For example, you could say: “Remember that the spare keys are in the top drawer of the desk.”
Later, you can ask Gemini where you left the keys. Voice commands require an internet connection.
Saving an item manually in Find Hub
- Open the Find Hub app.
- Go to the Remembered tab, or Remembered.
- Tap Add or Add.
- Name the item and save the location where it is kept.
You can add an address, a personal note and up to two photos to an entry. This is useful, for example, for items stored in a basement, garage or identical-looking boxes. Items already saved in Find Hub are usually also temporarily available without an internet connection.
If voice saving does not work, open Profile → Connected apps (Connected apps) in Gemini and check that the Find Hub app is enabled. If you cannot see the Remembered tab in Find Hub at all, it may not be a problem with your phone — the feature has probably not yet been activated for your account.
How to share a shopping list through Google Messages
Google Keep integration lets you create a note or list directly in a conversation. Rather than sending more messages with missing items, everyone can work from one continuously updated list.
Creating a shared list
- Open the chosen conversation in the Google Messages app.
- Tap the + or Add button.
- Select Keep Notes.
- Write a note or create a shopping list.
- Tap Send.
A preview of the note will appear in the conversation. When someone edits the content in Google Keep, the preview updates continuously. To open and edit it, simply tap it directly.
If the Keep Notes option is missing from the plus button, it does not automatically mean there is a problem with your phone. The rollout began on 1 September 2026, and Google has not published a completion date or a full list of supported regions and devices.
Watch out for access and privacy
A conversation participant may need the appropriate permission before they can edit it. In a group chat, members also retain access to the shared note even after leaving the group. If the list contains anything sensitive, access must therefore be managed directly in Google Keep.
The note itself is stored in Google Keep. It is not covered by message encryption in the same way as the content of a conversation protected by end-to-end encryption. It is therefore more practical to use this feature for shopping, tasks or planning, rather than passwords or sensitive personal data.
Official preview of the September updates
Google has also published a short preview of the features introduced in the September Android update.
Sources
Marcel Macko
I’m most interested in technology, the internet, bizarre news, and stories that make you stop and think, “There’s no way this can actually be true.” I follow what’s happening both at home and around the world and pick the topics I think are worth paying attention to. On Pitchoviny, I try to present them simply, factually, and without unnecessarily sensational headlines.
