Google Restores Song ID Prompt in Pixel Now Playing Update

Google has released an update to its Now Playing app for Pixel phones, restoring a key lock screen feature that users had lost since the app's launch earlier this month. The update, version 2026.03.24.x, began rolling out gradually via the Google Play Store on Friday, addressing complaints from Pixel owners who rely on the song identification tool for quick music discovery.

Now Playing, a Pixel-exclusive feature, uses an on-device database to recognize songs playing nearby and displays the title and artist on the lock screen without user input. This approach prioritizes privacy by avoiding constant internet access and helps conserve battery life. The database covers popular tracks but often misses lesser-known or indie songs. In such cases, the previous system allowed users to tap a prompt on the lock screen to initiate a cloud-based search, sending a brief audio snippet to Google's servers for identification.

When Google introduced the standalone Now Playing app in early March as part of the Pixel Drop update, it separated the feature from the bundled Android System Intelligence package. The app added conveniences like a history hub for viewed songs, options to play tracks from...