Pixel's 'Now Playing' is becoming a real app, but not for everyone

Google seems to be working on a major upgrade for one of the Pixel’s oldest and most-loved features — Now Playing. The signs have been there since last year, but a new version of Android System Intelligence now clearly shows that the company is working on making Now Playing a dedicated app that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Right now, the background song identification feature is bundled into Android System Intelligence, which also powers tools like Live Caption and Smart Text Selection. Its interface hasn’t changed much over the years, with a basic layout that shows the History and Favorites tabs.

That setup may soon change. Version B.21 of Android System Intelligence includes code strings (h/t 9to5 Google) suggesting that Now Playing could soon be spun out into its own app. One string explicitly references redirecting users to the Play Store, while another says users will be prompted to “Download the new Now Playing app.”

The text also makes it clear that this will be more than just a shortcut. Google says Now Playing will have a “new home,” with settings, song history, and other features housed inside the standalone app. The package name “com.google.android.apps.pixel.nowplaying” further suggests that this is being built as a full-fledged app, not just a system UI tweak.

Moreover, we found a screen referring to the new Now Playing app during our own digging in version B.21 of Android System Intelligence.

Pixel devices have included a stub for the new app since last year, which suggests Google is well along in development. The move mirrors what Google previously did with its Pixel Weather experience, turning it into a dedicated app that allowed for faster updates and feature expansion.

A Pixel-only app, at least for now

While a Play Store listing might suggest Now Playing is getting wider availability, our own digging indicates the new Now Playing app won’t be installable on just any Android device. In Android Canary builds, Google appears to be gating the installation behind device-level checks rather than allowing universal access.

In other words, even if the app does surface on the Play Store, it’s likely to remain restricted to supported Pixel devices, at least for now. It’s unclear when Google will launch the app on the Play Store and how its interface or functionality might change. There’s also no telling if Google will eventually open it up for wider downloads and make Now Playing a competitor for popular song recognition apps like Apple’s Shazam.