Google Assistant has been updated with an offline music recognition feature, following its debut on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL last month.
Now Playing works in a similar way to Shazam, with the main difference being that it’s controlled using your voice – not your fingertips.
All you have to do is ask Assistant for details about the song that’s playing, then it will present you with some basic information – artist, title and lyrics – together with links to all the different platforms you can stream it on.
There’s a caveat, though. Unlike the build of Now Playing that ships on board the Pixel 2 (and Pixel 2 XL), this version can’t identify songs without human interaction. But take it from us, that’s probably a good thing.
Related: Pixel 2 Review
We played around with the tool on the Pixel 2 and found it to be unreliable at the best of times, often taking an eternity to passively realise there’s a song playing – so we’d recommend taking the manual approach, even if you can automate it.
Big G’s said to have been working on adding the functionality to Assistant ever since it was announced back in 2016; we just can’t fathom why it took so long, seeing as it’s been baked into Google Now for years.
Step aside, Shazam. There’s a new player in town.
Are you happy with Google’s decision to update Assistant with support for Now Playing? Be sure to let us know over on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
