Published Mar 2, 2026, 4:40 PM EST
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The Google Pixel's Now Playing feature has been around for a while, offering automatic music identification without even lifting a finger. It's convenient and useful, and one of the more subtle and exclusive features introduced by the Pixel line.
And while it probably didn't need any tweaking, Google is now giving the Now Playing feature a fresh new look, along with its own app going forward. For the time being, this will still be a feature that's exclusive to Pixel devices. So, if you have a compatible Pixel, give this app a try.
It's time to try something new
9to5Google was pretty quick to discover the change, with Android Authority doing a deep dive. The Pixel Now Playing app that can be found in the Google Play Store. Since this is a dedicated app, you'll have the option to use it to identify music on the fly when needed by enabling the listening feature manually.
The app will also show your music search history, and you can even set the Now Playing app to open a dedicated music streaming over your choice to play the music that it finds. It's easy and convenient, allowing users to listen to music that they find on the fly while going about their day.
This menu also offers the ability to add a song you like to a service you use, or add it to an existing playlist. You can also add the song to your favorites, share it with friends, or just remove it from your history completely. In addition, you get a new coat of paint with the app sporting some elements from Material 3 Expressive like the floating action button.
We've seen this pop up in a number of revamped apps over the past year, like the updated Google Weather app. It's a small detail, but a welcome one. When you download the new app, it will come as an additional experience to the current Now Playing feature on Pixel. If you're interested and want to give it a shot, you can head to the Play Store to download the app right now.
