Google is getting ready to turn Pixel’s beloved Now Playing feature into a standalone app available through the Play Store, but early signals suggest it will remain a Pixel-only perk. Evidence tucked into a fresh Android System Intelligence build points to a dedicated package with its own settings, history, and interface — a notable shift from the low-key integration that has existed since the original Pixel 2.
What Is Actually Changing With the Now Playing App
Now Playing currently lives inside Android System Intelligence alongside tools like Live Caption and Smart Text Selection. In version B.21, strings referencing “Download the new Now Playing app” and a redirection flow to the Play Store indicate Google is carving the feature out into a self-contained…