In summary:
- Google’s popular ‘Now Playing’ feature, which automatically identifies background music on Pixel phones, is being converted into a dedicated app for broader Android availability.
- Tech Advisor reports this change was discovered in Android System Intelligence version B.21, suggesting non-Google Android phones will soon access this functionality.
- The first Android 17 beta includes minor UI improvements like a redesigned search bar and cleaner volume panel, with more features expected before June 2026 launch.
One of the best Pixel-exclusive features is coming to an Android phone near you.
There are a lot of reasons to favour Google’s way of doing things – the Pixel 10 and its Qi2 support is looking more like a killer feature by the day – but Now Playing is a personal favourite of mine and the TA team.
For the uninitiated, this is a feature that sees Pixel phones constantly listening out for music playing in the background. Your phone will then identify said song for you (most of the time – it can be a little flaky), and even log previous discoveries for later reference.
Good news: Now Playing will soon be available on non-Google Android phones.
9to5Google has discovered that Now Playing is being turned into a dedicated app, with version B.21 of Android System Intelligence (which powers Now Playing on Pixel phones) making reference to an “upgrade”.
Chris Martin / Foundry
More explicitly, there’s an exhortation to “Download the new Now Playing app”, together with the following explanation: “Now Playing has a new home. Your settings, song history, and other features can be found in the dedicated app”.
This is good news for two reasons. For existing Pixel users, it means that Google will likely be fleshing out this already pretty cool – if bare bones – offering.
It’s even bigger news for the rest of the Android crowd, as it means that it’ll almost certainly be coming to any Android phone capable of accessing the Google Play Store.
Might we even see the Now Playing app appearing in time for the March Pixel Drop? Here’s hoping.
Android 17 beta
It’d be a nice little piece of business to get done before the Android 17 hype train really gets up a head of steam. The first Android 17 beta has just been released, and at first glance, it’s not a huge advance on Android 16.
It’s mostly a spruced-up UI at this point, with a slightly reworked Home Screen search bar, the ability to remove the At a Glance widget from the home screen, an improved large screen experience, and a cleaned-up volume panel among the tweaks.
Expect more as the beta releases continue ahead of an expected June 2026 full public release.
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.