Skip to main content

Now Playing on Pixel readying redesign that adds ability to favorite songs

With the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, Now Playing gained a manual lookup capability that appears as a search button on the homescreen. The next Pixel update to Now Playing will introduce the ability to favorite songs and a bottom bar redesign.

About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in the case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

The current reverse-chronological feed becomes the “History” tab, where you’ll notice that each line is now accompanied by a heart. That icon also appears in the sheet that slides up after tapping on a tune. Saving is also possible from the “note next to the track name on your Lock Screen” and the “heart icon in a Now Playing notification.” 

Use Now Playing favorites to remember tracks you like when you hear them.

The “Favorites” tab will list everything that you’ve liked in a long-overdue addition. Since Now Playing works passively in the background, it can store a lot of tunes over the course of a day. This is less of an issue for an app like Shazam, where you actively launch it to find a track.

We enabled the Now Playing favorites redesign with the latest version of Android System Intelligence for the Pixel 6, which also yields the upcoming upgrade for At a Glance. It’s otherwise not yet live.

Thanks to JEB Decompiler, from which some APK Insight teardowns benefit.

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications