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Google has found a clever way to help you stop misplacing your most important belongings.
The new trick is coming to its Find Hub feature on Android, and it could save you from plenty of frantic searching around the house. Formerly known as Find My Device, this is Google's one-stop shop to find, remotely lock, or erase lost Android devices and accessories via Bluetooth.
It's similar to the Find My feature you'd find on Apple devices.
And now you can tell Gemini — that's the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant that replaced Google Assistant — exactly where you've put something important, such as your passport, and it'll remember it for you.
Best of all, you don't need a tracker tag or Bluetooth accessory.
All you have to say is something along the lines of, "Hey Google, remember in Find Hub that I put my passport in the vault inside my bedroom cabinet." You can even attach a photo you can use to jog your memory later.
When you eventually need that item, just ask Gemini, and it'll tell you where you left it. You can also browse all your saved items and their locations within Find Hub itself.
This arrives just a few weeks after the company announced its new Pixel Tag. This new accessory marks the US company's first venture into Bluetooth tracking devices that compete directly with Apple's bestselling AirTag.
The tracker will set you back £29.99 when it launches worldwide on November 11, or you can pick up a four-pack for £99.99 if you've got multiple items you'd like to monitor.
It may be worth having in addition to using Find Hub, as it will keep tabs on belongings like your luggage during travel without you having to remind Find Hub each time you move it.
While you wait for Pixel Tag to release, you can set up the new feature on Find Hub by following these steps on your mobile:
That's not the only new Android feature to look forward to either.
If you've ever felt queasy when scrolling on your phone in the back of a car, Google has a simple fix. The US technology firm is bringing a brand-new feature called Motion Assist to Android 17 — its latest operating system — designed for anyone who struggles with motion sickness.
Motion Assist puts small dots around the edges of your screen that shift and move in response to the movement of the vehicle.
Motion sickness is caused when your body is getting mixed signals. Your inner ear can detect each time the car moves, turns, stops, and speeds up. It tells your brain your body is in motion, but the eyes are focused on the screen and your hands, which look completely still to your brain.
Using the accelerometer inside the device, the dots can move on-screen in exactly the same way your inner ear detects motion from the vehicle.
This is the same way that Apple's Vehicle Motion Cues, released for the iPhone in 2024 with iOS 18, are designed to work. And if you're a Google Pixel owner, you'll be the first in line to receive the new feature. The new Pixel 11 handsets will have this right out of the box. Other Android devices are expected to get the update down the line.
