Google Pixel Users Welcome Back Now Playing Notifications
In Brief
- Google Pixel users are seeing the return of Now Playing notifications in the notification bar.
- The reinstated notifications include quick access to favorite songs and listening history.
- The feature’s availability appears to be limited, indicating a gradual rollout by Google.
The Now Playing feature on Pixel devices has always been a handy tool for identifying music, often providing song titles even before users need to reach for Shazam. After a period of silence on this capability, reports from Reddit have confirmed that Now Playing notifications are making a comeback.
Users are reportedly seeing recognized songs displayed once again in the notification area. These alerts show the title and artist of the song, and tapping the drop-down arrow will provide shortcuts to favorite tracks or a history of songs played. This means users can check what’s currently playing without needing to unlock their devices or open the app.
The news of this restoration aligns with hints spotted in August, where some code suggested Google was working on reinstating music-recognition notifications, even though the option wasn’t functional at that point.
Further analyses through an APK breakdown confirmed the feature and its associated functionalities, such as options for favorites and history, before they were available to all users. This teardown also highlighted developments for secondary-user support and synchronization of listening history.
Previously, the Now Playing notifications were removed when Google transitioned the feature into a standalone app with the March Pixel update. While songs continued to appear on lock screens, the absence of notifications affected third-party applications that depended on this feature to share listening data with platforms like Last.fm.
Pixel users should verify that both the Now Playing feature and Android System Intelligence are updated, and make sure notifications for the latter are enabled. Google’s support documentation indicates that these notifications can function whether the phone is locked or not, hinting that their return is official.
As of now, reports about the feature’s reinstatement are still limited, suggesting that Google might be gradually rolling out the notifications or activating them through server-side adjustments.
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