Pixel users have long loved Google’s Now Playing tool, but it would use music recognition technology that does not need an internet connection. The feature, introduced in 2017 as one of the Pixel devices’ built-in Shazam alternatives, has since evolved and become a hallmark of convenience. To coincide with the December 2024 Pixel Feature Drop, Now Playing is getting album artwork support and the ability to set a default music player.
Album Artwork: A Visual Upgrade
Adding album artwork to identified songs is one of the most anticipated improvements. First teased in November 2024, this feature brings the experience to a more polished and visually engaging one while displaying album covers next to the recognized tracks.
The December 2024 Feature Drop was confirmed to include the update by Google, which said the new Enhance Now Playing toggle pulls album artwork from Google services. The feature is rolling out now, but some adjustments are definitely still needed to make album artwork a widespread feature.
Introduce the Enhance Now Playing Toggle
Among other things, Google is rebranding the Show button on a lock screen toggle to Enhance Now Playing. The setting is accessible via Settings → Sound & vibration → Now Playing, where users are greeted with a pop-up explaining the change:
We’ve changed the ‘Show search button on lock screen’ setting to ‘Enhance Now Playing’ and now using Google services, album artwork will be added to songs.
This rename indicates that the feature had been expanded beyond a music identifier with more visual elements.
Default Music Player Support: Streamlined Playback
First up here, another huge upgrade is the addition of a default music player selector, so if you don’t already have a music player signed in, your tiles will be available for your default music player. This feature lets the users select what music streaming service they want to use when playing recognized songs on the Now Playing history.
It was first set to ‘None’ on Settings→ Sound & vibration→ Now Playing→ Default music player. Users will choose from available apps such as YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. Tapping a song in Now Playing history will, once set, highlight a prominent “Play on [default service]” button, with other streaming options available in an overflow menu.
This little change makes it easy to move from play to identify your next favorite track, so you have less to do.
What is Next for Now Playing?
The album artwork feature seems to be this early, but the default music player is obviously rolling out in the wild. Even with updated software, some users report that the album cover is still missing from their Now Playing history. A good sign is that Google wants to make the feature more user-friendly and visually appealing as it refines and expands.
Conclusion
Now Playing Tool from Google is evolving with new features for usability and aesthetics. Now, playing is becoming an even more integral part of the Pixel experience, becoming more intuitive, and even includes the introduction of album artwork (though still a work in progress) and a default music player.
Now, playing will soon be more than a clunky way to get background music it can be a first-class musical companion between recognition and playback. If you are a casual listener or a music enthusiast, these changes ensure your favorite tracks are always a tap away.
Ethan Cole is a tech aficionado dedicated to exploring the latest innovations and gadgets, providing reviews and insights to keep you updated in the tech world.
