The Now Playing bar is going to be getting a huge upgrade in Android 17.
Included in the Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 is a new Now Playing media controls bar that doesn’t just show one media bar at a time. Instead, it’ll keep multiple next to each other, and allow for quick switches with taps, rather than just swipes.
I love watching videos, and listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and music on my phone, and I often listen to media while doing various house chores. As such, I’m a big user of the current Now Playing bar, and I don’t mind telling you: It sucks.
Thankfully, Google is looking to fix that in Android 17. According to screenshots shared by Android Authority, Android 17’s Now Playing bar will show other recently played media in the form of vertical pills that can be tapped or swiped to.
Credit: Android Authority
Credit: Android Authority
Credit: Android Authority
This replaces the previous Now Playing selector, which would let you swipe between media. This swiping was riddled with issues, including accidentally touching the progress bar while swiping and losing your place, or just losing media altogether after it was swiped away. This new system looks and feels a lot better, and I can’t wait to get a chance to use it.
Of course, there are still concerns about this new system. I use a relatively small Pixel 10 Pro, and the idea of giving up some of my rather sparse vertical screen space is not an appealing one. However, I’m still willing to give this a chance.
This isn’t the only exciting new feature and software tweak to be coming with Android 17, of course. Yesterday, we learned about Continue On, a feature that lets you jump between the same app on different devices and resume what you were doing. Bubbles are moving from being an annoying chat-only feature to something that can let you swap between apps quickly. It even has some new charging tricks, like Priority Charging, though we don’t know exactly how that will work yet.
Android 17 is still a while off yet, but there’s a lot to get excited about. We’re sure to hear more as it inches closer to release.