Google could be preparing to turn one of the Pixel’s oldest features into a standalone app.
According to findings from 9to5Google, code within a recent version of Android System Intelligence references a Now Playing app. Users would be able to “upgrade” to it via the Google Play Store.
Now Playing has been a built-in feature on Pixel phones since the Pixel 2 series, quietly identifying songs playing nearby and storing them in a history log. At the moment, that history lives inside the Settings menu, several layers deep. Also, it runs entirely in the background without requiring manual activation.
The discovery of a Play Store reference suggests Google may soon separate the feature from system settings and give it its own dedicated interface. An app icon for Now Playing had also surfaced previously. This further points to a potential rollout.
Moving Now Playing into a standalone app could address some long-standing frustrations. For one, accessing song history wouldn’t require digging through menus. Furthermore, it could open the door to syncing listening history across devices. This is something that currently doesn’t happen when upgrading to a new Pixel.
None of this has been officially confirmed by Google, but the presence of upgrade strings in system code strongly suggests development is underway. 9to5Google speculates the app could arrive with the next Pixel Feature Drop, expected around March.
However, if this shift sounds like a step toward bringing Now Playing to other Android devices, that seems unlikely for now. Separate findings from Android Authority indicate the feature is still expected to remain Pixel-exclusive, even in app form.
If it does land, a dedicated Now Playing app would be less about reinventing the feature and more about refining it. This means making one of Pixel’s most quietly useful tools easier to access and potentially more capable than before.
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