Google is currently testing an enhancement for the popular Now Playing feature on its Pixel devices. This feature, which has won over many Pixel fans, operates on the lock screen and the Always-On Display.
It automatically identifies the music playing nearby and displays the song title along with the artist’s name. For new Pixel users, activating this feature requires navigating to Settings, then Sound & vibration, and toggling on “Identify songs playing nearby.”
Now Playing relies on a database stored directly on the Pixel device, ensuring that no audio snippets or background conversations are sent to Google, thus preserving user privacy. Many users, including myself, find that Now Playing outperforms other music recognition apps, such as Shazam.
One of the attractions of the Pixel lineup is Google’s ongoing commitment to enhancing user experience (UX) through regular updates, making features more user-friendly and convenient. The upcoming update for Now Playing will introduce a search bar that displays album art alongside the song title and artist name, enhancing visual appeal.
Currently, tapping the song name takes users to their Now Playing history, which records recently detected songs. However, a recent investigation indicates that the updated feature may alter this functionality.
Instead of accessing the history page, tapping on the song could reveal a bar featuring the song details and album art. Moreover, users will have the ability to easily add or remove songs from their favorites list and still access their Now Playing history with a double tap.
Although there’s no official timeline for when these updates will be rolled out, it appears Google is progressing towards implementing these improvements. This initiative reflects Google’s dedication to continually advancing the features that make the Pixel experience unique.