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Google Restores Pixel ‘Now Playing’ Lock Screen Button

User backlash pushed Google to restore the lockscreen control.

Overview

  • Google reintroduced a manual Now Playing search on Pixel lock screens through an update now rolling out.
  • The button sits under the fingerprint icon as “Tap to see what’s playing” and starts listening when tapped.
  • Matches show a rich result with cover art, a heart to save, and a shortcut to open the track in your chosen music app.
  • The change ships with Android System Intelligence version B.23, and users should also update the Now Playing app from Google Play.
  • Now Playing identifies songs using an on‑device catalog for speed, with an online lookup offered when it cannot match a track.