Google Pixel “Now Playing” Not Working? Here’s What to Do

Google Pixel’s Now Playing feature acts as a built-in version of Shazam, automatically identifying songs playing in your surroundings. However, users have recently reported issues with its automatic music detection and manual search functionality on the lock screen. In some cases, Google’s Circle to Search feature has also failed to recognize music.

This guide will walk you through potential fixes for these issues. Before proceeding, ensure your phone is updated to the latest supported Android version, as many such problems are often resolved through over-the-air (OTA) software updates.

If the issue persists, follow the steps below to identify and resolve it. The issue isn’t solely linked to Now Playing but may stem from an underlying bug within Google’s services. When music is played near the phone or its speaker, the app fails to detect the sound and doesn’t respond to manual search requests.

Additionally, the Android System Intelligence service often crashes when restarting the app. You can read more about the problem on the Google Issue Tracker.

1. Check Your Phone’s Microphone

When Now Playing doesn’t respond to any sound or music, the first step is to check for a hardware issue, particularly with the phone’s microphone. This can be quickly tested by using any app or service that relies on voice input.

For example, you can use Google Assistant or the built-in sound recorder. Open the Recorder app and start recording your voice. If there’s no variation in the sound waveform, there’s a high chance your microphone may need cleaning or replacement.

2. Toggle Now Playing in Settings

Some users have reported that restarting the Now Playing service resolves the issue. This step essentially refreshes the service, eliminating any temporary bugs or glitches.

1. Open Settings.
2. Navigate to Sound & vibration > Now Playing.
3. Toggle off Identify songs playing nearby to disable the service.
4. Toggle it back on to restart Now Playing.
5. Check if music playing nearby is now detected.

3. Clear Cache for Android System Intelligence

For users experiencing crashes with Android System Intelligence, clearing the cache has resolved the issue for many. This might also explain why music detection on Now Playing and Circle to Search is buggy.

1. Open your phone’s Settings.
2. Go to Apps, find Android System Intelligence, and tap on it.
3. Scroll down and select Storage & cache.
4. Tap Clear cache.
5. Restart your phone and check if music detection works.

4. Switch to Shazam (Alternative)

If Now Playing continues to have issues, you can use Shazam as a backup. While Shazam works well on Pixel devices, it doesn’t offer the same seamless automatic detection as Now Playing. Note that if the issue is hardware-related, Shazam won’t resolve it.