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Here's when Android's Heads Up safety tool will join Google's graveyard
Oct 15, 2026 — 8:41 AM ET
- We recently learned that Digital Wellbeing was sunsetting the Heads Up pedestrian safety feature, and we now know when that will happen.
- Google could soon alert users to this tool’s impending death with a prominent banner on the Heads Up page.
- Separately, we’ve spotted code mentioning a new Gemini-based chat to help you navigate your Digital Wellbeing settings and get the most out of them.
Google introduced Heads Up for Android phones in 2021 as a safety feature that warns you to stay aware of your surroundings while walking and using your phone. We discovered in our recent APK teardown that this pedestrian safety tool was being phased out, though we didn’t know when. We now have an answer, courtesy of code in the latest version of Digital Wellbeing.
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In version 1.49.99 beta of Digital Wellbeing, we’ve managed to activate a banner that says, “Heads Up will stop working in 2027.” Users are encouraged to have a look at other Digital Wellbeing tools “to help you stay present and maintain a healthy balance with your phone.”
That phrasing suggests Google has no replacement for Heads Up, which is unfortunate since it’s a pretty decent safety tool. However, it’s not one of the most advertised or well-known Android features, so Google likely didn’t see the point in keeping it.
Nevertheless, if you’re someone who uses this tool frequently, there’s now a date to mark on your calendar, sort of. We hope Google will provide more information about its removal in due course. For now, though, Heads Up looks like the latest entry on the list of products Google has killed.
Digital Wellbeing could get a new chat feature
It’s not all bad news for Digital Wellbeing, though, as we’ve also found additional lines of code that refer to chatting with Gemini about your Digital Wellbeing settings to make it “work best for you”.
<string name="gemini_variety_card_explore_settings">Explore settings</string>
<string name="gemini_variety_card_header">Explore your settings with Gemini</string>
<string name="gemini_variety_card_description">Chat with Gemini about how your digital wellbeing settings can work best for you.</string>Based on our early analysis, it could live inside Digital Wellbeing’s Pause Point. This recently added anti-distraction feature adds a 10-second pause when you open preselected apps.
Since we’re only seeing the underlying code for this Gemini-based chat experience, it’s difficult to say when (or if) it will roll out to the masses. In any case, we’ll keep an ear to the ground for any new info on this particular addition to Digital Wellbeing.
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