It's equipped with a 90Hz AMOLED display, outstanding cameras, face unlock, and Motion Sense gestures for controlling it without actually touching the screen. Today, Google took the wraps off its latest pair of smartphones: the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. With this in mind, when you take the Google Pixel 4 out of its box, the number of functions related to Motion Sense will be pretty limited. Waving across your phone won’t turn off the alarm or decline the call. More importantly, Motion Sense … Waking up to an alarm and trying to fiddle with on-screen buttons isn't always the most fun, so opting to use gestures instead could be pretty handy.

You can wave across your phone to snooze an alarm, turn off a timer, or mute a call. Move your hand to the left over the display to skip ahead to the next song in your playlist and to the right to go back to the previous track.

This gesture works with most music apps and is off by default.

This is very, very complicated technology. Related: Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL: Price, release date, availability, and deals. As of now, that includes the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Google's current flagship is a big glass slab of innovation and power, but it's not going to mean much if you drop it and shatter the screen. In my experience, Motion Sense works best when lying flat on a table or propped up on a wireless charger, with it having the most issues while holding the phone and trying to pull off the gestures. To go back to the last song, wave your hand over the phone from right to left. For example, if someone told you to swipe your hand in front of a radar sensor, how would you do it? Verizon customers: Get a Moto G Stylus for $5/mo on any Unlimited line. You can wave across your phone to skip a song, or go back to a song you just played. If Motion Sense seems pretty simple right now, don't hold that against it. Android Authority‘s Pixel 4 content is brought to you by MNML Case, makers of the world’s thinnest phone case. You can also skip tracks with this gesture if you’re listening to music. Important: If Battery Saver or Airplane mode are turned on, Motion Sense is turned off. Check that you’re in a country where Motion Sense is approved.

This system tracks whether or not you are in the process of reaching for your phone.

Protect your investment with a Pixel 4 XL case. All Motion Sense processing happens on your phone.

If you travel to a country where it’s not approved, it won’t work. There are currently three primary variables that Motion Sense uses to create smartphone responses: presence, reach, and gestures. Motion Sense had its beginnings years ago as part of Google’s Project Soli.

The true test for Motion Sense will be whether or not Google can make it into more than a gimmick. One of the ways to use Motion Sense, and perhaps the most well-thought-out, is using it to snooze alarms. Get the very best of Android Authority in your inbox. The Pixel 4 is one of the hottest Android phones on the market right now. As pretty as that glass back is, you should cover it with a case to keep it pretty as long as possible. Learn more. An offshoot of Google’s secretive and experimental “X” project, Soli set out to discover if radar had any practical applications in mobile devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, laptops, etc. You need to go to Settings -> System -> Motion Sense -> Pause music to enable it, but once that's done, tapping the air above your phone will pause or play the current track that's playing. In my experience so far, Motion Sense has worked far better than I was expecting. A swipe of your hand in front of your Pixel 4 will have multiple effects depending on what’s happening on your device at the moment. From there, you can move your hand over the display to snooze the alarm.

Watch the GIF examples above to get a better sense of what I'm talking about, but it starts to feel surprisingly natural after just a couple of tries.

If you have a Pixel 4, your phone can recognize if you’re nearby using Motion Sense. It is expensive, but you're getting your money's worth. Let’s start with presence. Thanks for your patience, as it may take longer than usual to connect with us. ©2020 Android Authority | All Rights Reserved. With that in place, Google just needs to issue software updates to add more intricate gestures. Google says that Motion Sense works with most media apps, including the likes of Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora, YouTube, and others. You'll find a host of features on the Pixel 4, but one that stands out the most is Motion Sense. Would your palm be open or closed? This only works with the Google Clock app that's pre-installed on the Pixel 4, so just keep that in mind if you tend to use third-party alarm clock apps. Google's latest flagship is loaded with features.

Another way to use Motion Sense is for dismissing incoming phone calls. A new feature that comes with those new devices is called Motion Sense, which is Google’s marketing language for the Pixel 4’s radar-based features. We’ve seen other smartphone gesture systems come and go that offered similar functionality (not based on radar, though, which is much more accurate and energy-efficient than any prior system). For example, the always-on display will illuminate if you are nearby and turn off if you aren’t.

Turn off Motion Sense, then turn it back on. Once a call pops up on your phone, swipe over the display either to the left or right and the ringing will stop. Motion Sense is a gesture system that allows you to control the Pixel 4 by simply waving your hand over its display, giving you a new and unique way to control the phone. Currently, Motion Sense will work in the US, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, and most European countries. To pause the song, tap above the display. We’ll need to wait to see how seriously Google takes Motion Sense going forward. On March 2, 2020, Google rolled out a new gesture related to media playback controls — the ability to pause/play songs. Finally, there are gestures. For example, a swipe over an incoming call will reject it and a swipe over an alarm will turn the alarm off. Motion Sense tracks three different variables at the moment: presence, reach, and gestures. Get a Moto G Stylus for $5/mo on any Unlimited line.

Set an alarm, set a timer, or get a call. You can use gestures to do actions quickly with your phone without unlocking the screen. Radar allows users to control aspects of their phone without the need to physically touch the device.

The trickiest part of making Motion Sense work was the implementation of the hardware.

Rather than doing big, drawn-out gestures over the screen, Motion Sense actually tends to work best with quick swipes over it. To pause or play a song, tap the top part of your phone. We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. The bandwidth under which the Soli radar functions are banned in certain regions. When it goes off, wave your hand once across your screen. No matter if you wave over it from the left or right, it'll just snooze for a few minutes rather than being completely turned off. Motion Sense is the first consumer-facing product to come from Google's Project Soli. It’s possible other countries could see the Pixel 4 in the future if Google can meet their individual radar regulations. If you have a Pixel 4, your phone can recognize if you’re nearby using Motion Sense. The biggest hurdle for Project Soli was size: a traditional radar system is far too large to be practical on any mobile device.

Instead, your phone snoozes the alarm, silences the call, or makes the sound quieter when you reach for your phone. Google's new Pixel 4 represents the first time that radar has appeared on any mobile phone. Up and down? As a precautionary health measure for our support specialists in light of COVID-19, we're operating with a limited team. This could be great if you’re in a meeting and forgot to set your phone into a silent mode — you could then do so without even needing to touch it. Those are essentially in order from simplest to most intricate. Last but not least, you can use Motion Sense for controlling media playback in music/video apps. Motion Sense can tell when you’re nearby, but not who you are. The best phones for gaming: Play faster and better (September 2020), The best T-Mobile phones to spend your money on (September 2020), The Pixel 5’s Extreme Battery Saver is coming to older Google phones, Google Pixel 5 wallpapers: Download all the mega-colorful designs here, Google Photos’ new Android editor uses AI to help images pop, Google Pixel 5 buyer’s guide: Everything you need to know. You can get to the Motion Sense menu via Settings > System > Motion Sense… The next system is reach. Motion Sense is the name Google gives to the various radar-sensing features in the Pixel 4.

Another idea is to implement a gesture that takes a photo. It should be noted that, due to the implementation of government-regulated radar sensors, the Pixel 4 will only be sold in certain areas around the world. It’s quite possible Google has these ideas and others in mind already.

Would you go slow or fast? The Google Pixel 4 is an amazing phone sandwiched between a glass front and glass back.

If you are, it will respond in simple ways, such as turning on the front-facing sensors that control Face Unlock. As in what they use to track airplanes and submarines?” Yes, that is the very same technology housed in the front-facing sensor system of the Pixel 4. That’s not a ding on the system, though: it’s simply a current limitation due to the technology still being in its infancy. If you are near your phone, certain things will happen. You can use gestures to do actions quickly with your phone without unlocking the screen. Use a case or protector that doesn’t block the top of your screen. Motion Sense is a gesture system that allows you to control the Pixel 4 by simply waving your hand over its display, giving you a new and unique … Everything you can do with Pixel 4 Motion Sense Digging into the code for Motion Sense, it seems that Google has honed in Project Soli’s capabilities down to … It will also make an alarm or phone call quiet down a bit if you are in the process of reaching for your phone. Remove your phone case or screen protector. To continue to play the song, tap above the display. It'd be nice if Google also gave you a way to accept a call using Motion Sense, but for the time being, it's limited to just silencing it. News, reviews, deals, apps and more. To skip to the next song, wave your hand over the phone from left to right. The radar system within the Pixel 4 creates a sensor field with about a one-foot radius around the device at all times (unless it is face down). Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL: Price, release date, availability, and deals. To awaken your screen when you reach for it, turn on, To keep your screen awake when you’re nearby, tap. Talking on a technical point of view, Google has put forth geo-restrictions on Soli radar. For instance, it is banned in India, hence Pixel 4 will not release in India. Would you go from left to right? This glow shows you that a quick gesture is available, or that you just used a gesture.

Good luck! After an alarm starts ringing on your Pixel 4, the audio will get quieter as you move your hand towards the display. Can Motion Sense reach new heights and rise above these other systems? Your milage will vary, but hopefully this helps you get started in the right direction. Right to left? The response to Motion Sense has been a mixed bag.

Google Pixel 4 motion sense is amazing but not everyone gets to experience it this fall. For quickly navigating between songs, it's a good gesture to know. You can have your phone show the time and your notifications when it senses you're nearby. Some people have a lot of luck with it working the majority of time, whereas it barely works for others. For example, it could implement a gesture that allows you to easily turn on Do Not Disturb mode. This might sound simple but it’s actually quite tricky. Sensor data isn’t sent to Google.