Another month, another “Drop.” <a href="https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-drop-september-2026/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Google announced its latest crop of features for Android devices this week, all coming as part of its September Android Drop. While the list is relatively small, these five new features all actually seem pretty useful. In fact, with this update, Google is kind of making the case to avoid buying one of its newest products.
Keeps tabs on your stuff without using a tracker
Google is funny. The company finally rolls out its own competitor to the AirTag, the Pixel Tag, then immediately undercuts it with a new Find Hub feature. “Soon,” Google says, you’ll have the ability to ask Gemini to remember where you put your stuff, making it possible to keep tabs on those items without needing a dedicated tracker.
Google says the feature is for “things you don’t put a tracker tag on,” like, perhaps, your passport or a spare key, but there aren’t any rules here. You can simply ask Gemini to remember that you put your keys in your bedside drawer, and it’ll store that location for you. You can even choose to add a photo if you want the extra assistance. When you can’t find something, you can ask Gemini where it is, or check the new “remembered items” tab in Find Hub. Google doesn’t have a specific timeline for when this feature will roll out, but it does say that it’ll work with Android 16 and newer in countries that support both Gemini and Find Hub.
Android is getting its own anti-motion sickness feature
With iOS 18, Apple introduced “Vehicle Motion Cues,” a feature that aims to reduce motion sickness by placing a series of dots on your screen. As the vehicle moves, so do the dots. That way, your brain doesn’t get “confused” by looking at a stationary screen in a moving vehicle; it thinks the screen is moving as well, hopefully keeping your senses in equilibrium.
While developers brought this concept to Android devices through third-party apps, Google now has a version of the feature of its own. Google’s take is called “Motion Assist,” and it works just about the same way as Apple’s. Like Vehicle Motion Cues, you can customize how these dots actually look; in this case, you can control their shape, color, and opacity. You can choose to have the feature kick on automatically, or pin it as a Quick Setting tile to access it whenever you want. Google says this feature is coming to all phones running Android 17.
“Guided vision” is coming to Gemini Live
Just about every tech company with an AI platform offers a “Live” feature, which lets the AI “see” through your device’s camera to help answer questions about your surroundings. For Google, that’s Gemini Live.
What do you think so far?
Now, Google is adding “Guided vision” to Gemini Live, a feature designed for blind and low-vision users. Guided vision uses Gemini Live to help you navigate your surroundings in a more accessible way: Rather than simply answering questions about “what type of plant is this” or “when was this building built,” Google says Guided vision can help with reading fine print on a nutrition label, or discerning the different dishes on a menu in a restaurant with low light. Furthermore, Guided vision can help you line up your camera if you aren’t pointing it in the right spot. This feature is actually coming to a larger number of devices than some other features, as Google says you’ll be able to use it with Android 9 and newer devices where Gemini is available.
Google Messages now has collaborative Google Keep integration
If you have a friend or a group chat that frequently collaborates on lists (think grocery lists or vacation planning), Google Messages is getting a helpful upgrade. Following this Pixel Drop, Google Messages users will notice a new Google Keep icon in the (+) menu. Once activated, you’ll be able to create and edit new notes directly in your chats. Rather than jumping between Google Keep and Google Messages, you can chat and collaborate in one app. As someone on the iOS side of things, I hope Apple—ahem—takes notes here.
Google Messages gets new chat customizations
Google Messages is also getting some new chat customization options. Now, you can change the background of a chat to whatever you want, including photos from your library. When you do, the text bubbles automatically change to match that image’s color scheme. That said, you can adjust the colors to whatever you like, or customize the bubbles without changing the background.
