Google Pixel phones could get a cool free upgrade which music fans will love

It's like Shazam and Spotify Wrapped in one – and it looks fantastic

Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro phones in white colorway side-by-side
(Image credit: Google)

There's nothing more frustrating than hearing a great song but not being quick enough to Shazam it and find the name. Often, it will rattle around in your head for ages, tormenting you, until you try Googling a handful of vaguely remembered lyrics in the hope of finding it again.

That's where the Pixel phones have an edge. Models like the latest Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro – but even handsets as far back as the Google Pixel 3 – have a feature called Now Playing. This allows your Pixel phone to listen in to the world around you, picking out songs it hears and giving you a notification with the details.

Users can take it even further. The catalogue of songs played around you is held in the app, and users can manually add tracks that it couldn't find automatically, and favourite the ones they liked the most. From there, you can also open the track in your music streaming service of choice.

Whenever it comes, though, I'm sold. As a music lover, I'm constantly frustrated by being unable to remember the songs I have heard in shops and bars. Having a database of those to sift through could completely do away with those annoying searches.

The Summary tab is interesting. Some users won't care about tracking what they've heard on their travels, but others will be intrigued by the stats. Sure, I doubt anyone will be checking in on it everyday, but it's still a cool addition. 

Sam Cross
Senior Staff Writer

Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.