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Google is testing automatic triggers for Motion Assist and Take a Message in Transit Mode
Nov 13, 2026 — 9:32 AM ET
- Google recently updated Pixel’s Transit Mode to work automatically, and it could soon also trigger Motion Assist and Take a Message.
- We now have screenshots to show the automatic Motion Assist trigger.
- Additionally, evidence from Transit Mode’s code also shows it could automatically trigger the Pixel-exclusive Take a Message voicemail feature.
Earlier this week, Google rolled out the November 2026 update for a broad range of Pixel devices. Among the best new features coming to Pixels is Transit Mode 2.0, which enables automatically when the phone detects that you’re on the go. This allows different audio settings to take over your Pixel device on their own, while unwanted notifications and potentially sensitive information are hidden.
Besides this, Google has been working on enabling a few features automatically when Transit Mode is turned on. While those weren’t announced with the latest Pixel Drop, we have more evidence suggesting they’re being worked on actively.
APK teardown
This reporting is based on work-in-progress code. These features may not ship.
Last month, we learned that Google is working on a method that would let its anti-motion sickness feature, called Motion Assist, activate automatically when Transit Mode turns on. A few weeks later, we also found out that Google is working on another possible toggle on the incoming call screen that would allow users to route calls through Take a Message — a Pixel-exclusive feature that not only records voicemail but also auto-transcribes the audio call for you to revisit later.
Now, we have more evidence about both of these features. First, we’ve been able to activate the UI to enable automatic Motion Assist. The screenshots below show a toggle for Motion Assist under the While in transit menu in Pixel’s settings. The feature hasn’t rolled out yet, even though it would make perfect sense for Google to bundle it with Transit Mode.
While we still don’t have screenshots of the Take a Message toggle, we’ve found new insights in the Transit Mode 2.0 package code that suggest an integration with Transit Mode. That means incoming calls would go through Take a Message automatically when your phone detects you are in transit, giving you automatic reinforcement in addition to the manual option, ensuring you don’t miss important calls, and further limiting distractions when you’re unable to receive one.
The following strings tell us more about the likely onboarding process for the feature:
<string name="tam_education_desc_normal">Incoming calls will ring silently and let callers know you’re commuting. You can read live voicemail transcripts or answer the call anytime.</string>
<string name="tam_education_desc_settings_prompt">Incoming calls will ring silently and let callers know you’re commuting. You can read live voicemail transcripts or answer the call anytime.
To use this feature, make sure Take a Message is turned on in your Phone app settings.</string>This block indicates that Take a Message will receive calls on your behalf and automatically direct callers to the voicemail feature. It also notes that Take a Message must be turned on in the Phone app for Transit Mode to enable it while you’re commuting.
Meanwhile, the following strings show a sequence of settings and their descriptions to help ensure users turn on all necessary settings.
<string name="tam_education_link">Learn how calls are managed</string>
<string name="tam_education_primary_btn_settings">Open Phone app settings</string>
<string name="tam_education_primary_btn_turn_off">Turn off</string>
<string name="tam_education_primary_btn_turn_on">Turn on</string>
<string name="tam_education_title">Silence calls & take messages</string>
<string name="tam_setting_title">Silence calls & take messages</string>
<string name="tam_turn_on_dialog_message">This feature must be on for Transit mode to manage calls while you’re commuting</string>
<string name="tam_turn_on_dialog_positive">Phone app settings</string>
<string name="tam_turn_on_dialog_title">Turn on Take a Message in Phone app settings?</string>Given our findings, it seems the Take a Message integration with Transit Mode 2.0 might not be ready for maturation just yet. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more about that.
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