The Google Pixel 9 is a marvel of technology, with its sleek design, powerful camera, and long battery life. It’s packed with new AI features, some more impressive than others. But one feature that truly stands out, not for its novelty, but for its consistent brilliance, is a seven-year-old gem called Now Playing.
Remember the days when Google released the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL? Now Playing debuted then, allowing your phone to identify music playing in the background and display the song name and artist on your lock screen – without you lifting a finger. The best part? It worked offline, thanks to on-device processing.
This seemingly simple feature has become an indispensable part of my Pixel experience. Throughout the day, I find myself listening to music in restaurants, on the radio, or in commercials, and wanting to know the song’s name. It’s not a chore to open Shazam, but Now Playing makes it effortless, discreetly identifying the tunes in the background.
While Google doesn’t make a big deal about it these days, Now Playing is still available. Just head to Settings > Display > Lock screen > Now Playing, and enable the ‘Identify songs playing nearby’ toggle. From then on, your Pixel will identify music playing around you and display it on your lock screen.
Beyond the simple identification, you can customize Now Playing with additional settings. Add a manual song check button to your lock screen for more obscure tunes not in Google’s library. You can also view your Now Playing history, seeing all the identified songs and marking favorites for easy access later.
Now Playing is the epitome of a useful and elegant smartphone feature. It’s discreet, always working in the background, and delivers valuable information effortlessly. It’s a testament to Google’s ability to create smart features that we genuinely want to use, without being flashy or complicated.
While AI is making waves in the smartphone world, many of the new features feel like gimmicks. Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite boasts a plethora of AI tools, but they often feel unnecessary. Apple Intelligence is slick and well-marketed, but features like AI-generated emails don’t really add to my life. Even Google’s Pixel Studio, one of the newest AI features on the Pixel 9, feels clunky and undercooked.
But amidst these less-than-stellar AI features, Google has a knack for creating truly useful ones. The Pixel Recorder app, for instance, is the best recording app I’ve ever used. Hold for Me, the feature that keeps your place in line when you’re on hold during a phone call, is a life-saver. Now Playing, with its simplicity and effectiveness, joins the ranks of these standout features.
If you own a Pixel 9, or any older Pixel model, and haven’t tried Now Playing yet, give it a shot. It’s been a constant companion on my Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, and it’s a welcome reminder that sometimes, the most effective features aren’t the flashy ones. The small, practical ones are often the ones that make the biggest difference.
