Google Tests Pixel’s Now Playing Update with Album Art and Favorites

When it comes to features that define the Pixel phone experience, the Now Playing feature stands out as a fan favorite. This feature, which shows up on the lock screen and Always-On Display, is a music recognition tool that automatically identifies songs playing nearby.

It also displays the artist’s name, making it super convenient for music lovers. To enable this feature on a new Pixel, simply head to Settings > Sound & vibration > Now Playing and toggle on ‘Identify songs playing nearby.’

Now Playing utilizes a local song database stored on your device, meaning Google doesn’t send any audio or conversations to their servers. The feature also incorporates privacy-preserving analytics to ensure your privacy is protected. As someone who’s owned both Pixel devices and other Android phones, I can confidently say that Now Playing outperforms apps like Shazam when it comes to accuracy and convenience.

One of the standout qualities of Pixel phones is how Google constantly works to improve the user experience (UX). Whether it’s through regular app updates or optimizing features like Now Playing, Google is always looking for ways to enhance usability. How often have you heard a catchy tune but couldn’t recall the song title or artist? Or maybe you heard a new song that you loved and wanted to know more about it? Now Playing makes it easy to identify songs and explore more music, all while keeping things simple and user-friendly.

Recently, Android Authority discovered an update to the Android System Intelligence that will improve Now Playing. In the updated version, tapping on the song title no longer takes you to your Now Playing history. Instead, it opens a bar showing the song title, artist name, and album art on the left. You can also visit your favorites list with a tap on the right side of the bar, and easily add or remove songs. A double-tap still takes you to your Now Playing history. While the feature is still being developed and there’s no set release date, it’s clear that Google is getting closer to rolling out album art integration in Now Playing.