Now Playing could soon regain one of its most-missed capabilities across Pixel devices, from the Pixel 6 through to the Pixel 11. Google is reportedly working on restoring the option to display recognised songs in the notification area, a function that was removed when the tool moved to a standalone app.
Now Playing remains one of the most useful Pixel-exclusive apps, allowing users to instantly identify any song playing in the background. In its current form it already covers the essentials of a music recognition tool, and the latest development suggests it could become even more convenient to use.
What Google is reportedly building
Google launched Now Playing in 2017 alongside the Pixel 2. It remained a dedicated system feature on Google phones until March 2026, when it was replaced by a standalone app. Its operation is straightforward: once installed, it continually recognises songs playing nearby and shows the result on the lock screen.
However, not everyone wants to lock their screen simply to check which song is playing. Displaying the identified track on the active screen, such as in the notifications bar, would make the process far quicker, letting users swipe down to see the song name without any extra steps.
Signs of this change have reportedly been spotted in the Android System Intelligence app on Pixel 11 phones. A string reading enableMusicRecognitionNotifications was identified, strongly suggesting Google may soon let users enable notifications for the Now Playing app. Although an image shows how the feature could appear, it does not currently function.
A feature that previously existed
Before the standalone app arrived, Now Playing showed identified songs in the notification centre as well as on the lock screen. Users could enable this by opening Settings and navigating to Display, then Lock screen, then Now Playing, then Notifications, before switching on the toggle beside “Allow Android System Intelligence notifications.”
The Pixel 5 and earlier models are incompatible with the app, having reached the end of their official software update cycle in 2023. The app itself was made available with the March 2026 Pixel Drop. On those older phones, Now Playing most likely continues to operate as a system feature, meaning it still displays identified songs in the notifications panel.
The absence of the notification shade option has been widely noted since the transition to an app, with users describing it as a capability they genuinely miss. A workaround is currently available until Google restores the function directly within the app. The relevant string enableMusicRecognitionNotifications has been found in the Android System Intelligence app on the Pixel 11.
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Image: phonearena.com
