Google to Axe Android Feature That Warns You Not to Walk While Using Your Phone

Google appears to be planning to discontinue its Heads Up feature in Android's Digital Wellbeing suite. The tool, which warns users when they are walking while using their phones, has been available since 2021 and uses motion sensors and location information to detect walking-related activity.

The apparent retirement of Heads Up is interesting because it may have arrived before the surrounding technology had matured. Android phones now have better-equipped sensors and contextual features than they did when Heads Up launched.

Google has not confirmed why the feature is being discontinued, but it's possible that it simply didn't attract enough use to justify continued development. The feature has been described as underused, although Google hasn't said whether usage played a role in the decision.