Pixel’s Now Playing feature looks set to get a default playback option

Pixel’s Now Playing feature that identifies songs playing around you for at-a-glance reference is about to get even better. This handy tool which first appeared on the Pixel 2 and 2 XL back in 2017 acts like a built-in Shazam, automatically displaying the song title on your lock screen and in your notifications. It even keeps a history of all the tunes it’s recognized.

Now Playing has always been helpful, but it had one minor quirk. When you tapped on a recognized song, it would show options to play it on multiple music apps, even if you primarily used just one. This meant an extra step of choosing your preferred app every single time.

But Google seems to be working on a default music player setting for Now Playing. This means you’ll soon be able to tell your Pixel phone which music app you prefer, and Now Playing will automatically use that app for playback.

Unearthed on Google’s own Now Playing support page, the feature is clearly on the way even if it isn’t quite live just yet; though it’s likely to arrive sooner rather than later. Maybe it will arrive alongside another rumored Now Playing enhancement – album art in the history panel.

To set your default music player (once the feature is live, of course), you’ll simply head to Settings > Sound & vibration > Now Playing > Default music player. I’m keeping a close eye on this one. I love Now Playing and any update or feature addition is a welcome one in my book. Hopefully we’ll see it show up soon!