Pixel users have long loved Google’s Now Playing tool, but it would use music recognition technology that doesn’t need an internet connection. The feature, introduced in 2017 as one of the Pixel devices’ built in Shazam alternatives has since evolved and has since then 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. However, despite rolling out, many users, including 9to5Google, still have album artwork still not appearing in their Now Playing history despite there being the latest Android System Intelligence update. 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 now 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 also be added to songs.
This rename indicates that, indeed, the feature had been expanded beyond just being 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 be used 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 Music, Spotify, Apple Music and more. 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’s Next for Now Playing?
The album artwork feature is seems to this early, but the default music player is obviously rolling out in the wild. Even with updated software, some users report that album cover is still missing from their Now Playing history. But that’s a good sign that Google wants to make the feature more user friendly and visually appealing as it refines and expands it.
Conclusion
Now Playing Tool from Google is evolving with more new features for usability and aesthetics. This means Now Playing is becoming an even more integral part of Pixel experience that is becoming more intuitive and now 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 just a clunky way to get background music – it can be a first class music companion between recognition and playback. If you’re a casual listener or a music enthusiast, these changes make sure your favorite tracks are always just 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.
