The Pixel 7 series features advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning features, including Now Playing to identify songs playing nearby. The feature was introduced in 2019 alongside the Pixel 4, but it is a mainstay of the company's smartphones even a few years later. In fact, when setting up the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, users may be asked to enable the Now Playing feature right then and there.

Some smartphones and apps are able to identify the name of songs playing in a user's surroundings. For example, Apple bought the song identification app Shazam in 2018, and assimilated the app's functionality directly into its operating systems. However, not many products and services can identify songs without manual input from users, and that's what sets Now Playing apart from the competition. Google's option can automatically identify music playing in a user's surroundings with no manual action required. Of course, there are privacy concerns associated with having a smartphone that is always listening, so it's important to know the pros and cons of Now Playing.

Related: How To Use Magic Eraser On The Pixel 7 To Fix Your Photos

Should You Enable Now Playing On Pixel 7?

Pixel 7 Pro in white

To turn on the feature, navigate to Settings > Sounds & Vibration > Now Playing. Then, tap the toggle next to 'Identify songs playing nearby.' When Now Playing is enabled, a Pixel smartphone can show the name of a song currently playing in the phone's environment in real time. The information appears in the lower portion of the lock screen, and can show on the always-on display. There's also an option to display a search button on the lock screen, utilizing online processing to manually find the song's name and artist. All the songs discovered show up in Now Playing history, which can be found in settings or appear as a shortcut on the home screen.

Though it may seem unnerving that the Pixel smartphone is always listening, it uses on-device processing. After Now Playing is enabled, it will download a song database to the Pixel 7 or 7 Pro that is used to identify songs. Google says these will never be shared with the company, and any audio or background conversations are only recognized on-device. The process is also protected by Android's Private Compute Core. Pixel 7 users might rightfully have concerns about using the Now Playing feature, but it is a secure and useful way to identify songs.

View Your Now Playing History On Pixel 7

Pixel 7 in white

The Pixel 7 (and other Pixel devices) can provide a history of all the songs identified using Now Playing. This is a convenient feature that lets users go back to identified songs and find that one tune they can't get out of their head. To view Now Playing history, users will need to make sure that the 'Show songs on lock screen' option is enabled for Now Playing in Settings. To find the history, go to Settings, tap 'Sound & Vibration,' and tap 'Now Playing.' Select 'Now Playing History' to view the list.

Users can now tap on a song to share it with their friends or listen to on a music streaming service, such as Spotify. They can also choose to clean up their Now Playing history by deleting songs from the list. If users favorite a song from Now Playing on their phone lock screen, it will appear with a red heart in history. Pixel 7 users can remove a song from Now Playing favorites by tapping on the red heart.

More: Adaptive Charging On The Pixel 7: What It Is & How To Use It

Source: Google