(Credit: Eric Zeman)
UPDATE 3/3: Google Pixel's unique Now Playing song identification tools are now available in a dedicated app, downloadable from the Google Play Store, as spotted by 9to5Google. However, the service remains exclusive to Pixel 10 devices running the Android 17 beta.
It's unclear when Google will bring its Now Playing app to more devices, or whether it will wait until the full OS release. The new app makes it easier to find Google's song identification tools on your phone, which were previously built into the device's System Intelligence features. The new app includes features such as sharing, favorites, and a button to connect to third-party music streaming services.
Original story 2/16:
One of the most-loved exclusive Google Pixel tools is the background song identification feature called Now Playing, first introduced in 2017. New information suggests Google may be planning to move the tool to its own app to make it easier to access.
According to code strings spotted by 9to5Google in the latest version of Android’s System Intelligence, it appears Google may be preparing to offer it through its own app downloadable on the Play Store.
The site spotted wording in the latest version B.21 that says, “Now Playing has a new home. Your settings, song history, and other features can be found in the dedicated app.” Google has yet to officially comment on the changes.
Other code points to a notification to download the service from the Play Store to access those features. Moving the feature to a dedicated app may make it more obvious for users to find and activate it independently.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean it will become a tool anyone can download to their Android device.
Android Authority conducted further research on the latest version and found that Google is gating the feature with device-level checks. If that persists, it may be a sign that Google plans to keep this feature exclusive to the Pixel products.
If so, it’s unclear why Google is making that choice, but it may be to give its Pixel phones a unique edge over its competition. The brand does that with select features, such as its Recorder app, which uses AI features to create transcripts and summaries of audio.
Song identification apps aren't anything new; alternatives such as Shazam are more commonly used. Google’s tool has had the unique advantage of working in the background to suggest the title and artist of a song before requesting it manually.