Android gains five new features as Googlebook AI sorter leaks

TechRadar reported that the features are available now or rolling out soon. They include Motion Assist, an Android 17 tool that puts a subtle, customizable bubble overlay on the screen. The bubbles move in time with a moving vehicle to reduce motion sickness, letting users read, browse or watch videos in cars, buses, trains and boats. The tool can be set to launch automatically or via Quick Settings, and users can adjust the shape, color and opacity of the bubbles.

Google Messages is receiving two additions. The first is customizable chat wallpapers and themes, a feature Google announced and started rolling out a few days earlier; the customization is only visible to the user, not to other chat participants. The second is Google Keep integration, which allows chat members to share notes or lists and have them updated by everyone in the chat. TechRadar said the Keep integration is beginning to roll out.

Find Hub will soon let users create a searchable inventory of their belongings by telling Gemini where items are stored, for example saying "Hey Gemini, remember in Find Hub that I put my passport in the bottom drawer." Later, users can ask Gemini or check the "remembered items" tab in Find Hub. This is coming to devices with Android 16 and above where Gemini and Find Hub are available.

Gemini Live is adding a guided vision assistant that can give audio guidance about the user's surroundings through the camera lens, such as reading fine print or a menu in low light. It will be available on Android 9 and above where Gemini is supported.

Separately, Android Authority said it obtained an early build of the Device Intelligence app intended for Googlebooks. The first use case is automatic sorting of files into topic-based collections stored locally. The feature is optional and off by default. An example in the app shows all files about a planned trip gathered in one place. The app stresses that the files stay on the device and are not used to train AI. Android Authority previously saw the same sorting function in May, in a leak of Aluminum OS, the Android-based operating system powering Googlebooks.

Device Intelligence also adds a desktop widget so users can pick a file collection without opening the Files app. Additionally, Googlebook users will be able to share local files directly to Gemini Notebook, the service formerly called NotebookLM. Sharing works through the standard share sheet, bringing up a choice of notebooks, and files up to 200MB are allowed. Android Authority noted the workflow may shift before launch.

Google has not formally confirmed a Googlebook launch date, but hardware partner Acer teased its first Googlebook at IFA 2026. The first Googlebook units are expected as soon as mid-September, according to the report.