Google Now Playing could soon feature album artwork

The Google Pixel's Now Playing feature could soon support album artwork. Currently, when a Pixel phone hears music playing nearby, this tool intelligently identifies the track, showing the song title and artist on the lock screen. You can then tap on the song and unlock your phone to get more information. Plus, your Now Playing history is viewable in the phone's settings, where you can add songs to your favorites.

According to a recent report by Android Authority, Google is working on the ability to view the associated album artwork on your lock screen. This possible change to the Now Playing feature was spotted in a recent Android System Intelligence update. It seems that while the basic layout remains the same, Pixel phone users would then be able to tap on the song to expand the notification to show the album art on the lock screen.

Plus, it appears that tapping on the track would also reveal a heart-shaped favorite button, which could be used to add or remove a track from your list. Users are then said to be able to double-tap to access their Now Playing history. It remains to be seen whether or when Google could release this new version of the Now Playing feature for Pixel phone users. Earlier in July 2025, Google announced a surprise Pixel Drop with new Circle to Search capabilities for the US and India, as well as a free 1-year subscription to Google AI Pro for users of the Pixel 9 Pro (Obsidian, 128 GB, unlocked, curr. $999 at Amazon).