How do I get my music player to show up on my lock screen Android?

Having your music player show up on your Android lock screen can be a convenient way to control music playback without unlocking your phone. However, getting your music app to display media controls on the lock screen is not always straightforward, as different music players and Android versions handle it differently.

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of how the Android lock screen works, how to enable media notification access for music players, what works for default music apps versus third-party options, customization settings, troubleshooting tips, and some alternative lock screen solutions. With the right setup, you can have album art, track info, and playback controls visible right from your lock screen.

Understanding the Android Lock Screen

The lock screen on Android devices serves as the first interface users see when turning on or waking their phone. It shows basic information like the clock, date, notifications, and sometimes widgets. The main purpose of the lock screen is to protect access to the phone by requiring authentication via PIN, pattern, password, or biometrics to get past it and fully unlock the device.

By default, most notifications are hidden on the lock screen for privacy. Users must enable a setting called “Lock screen notifications” or “Notifications on lock screen” to allow notifications to actually show up when the phone is locked. This gives users quick access to notifications without having to fully unlock the phone every time. Once enabled, notifications will appear briefly on the lock screen as they come in.

Another related setting is notification access on the lock screen. This allows certain apps to bypass the authentication and directly put full notifications on the lock screen. Media apps like music players often have this ability to display music playback controls and album artwork on the lock screen as the user listens to songs. Granting notification access to apps gives users convenient music controls without unlocking, but does lower lock screen security.

Enabling Media Notification Access

In order to display media notifications on your Android lock screen, you first need to enable media notification access for your music or media app. This permission allows the app to send notifications that can appear on your lock screen and display playback controls.

To enable this setting:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Scroll down and tap “Notifications”.
3. Tap “Media”.
4. Toggle on “Show media playback notifications” to enable the setting.

This will allow any media app with notification capabilities to display playback notifications and controls on your lock screen. Make sure to enable notifications within the individual music apps as well.

Some default music players like Google Play Music may have this enabled by default. For third party apps, you will likely need to grant notification access. Without enabling media notification access, your music player will not be able to display playback notifications on your lock screen.

Using Default Music Players

Android devices come with pre-installed default music apps like Google Play Music, Samsung Music, Xiaomi Music, etc. These apps have built-in integration with the lock screen to show music playback controls.

To enable lock screen music controls in Google Play Music, open the app settings and toggle on “Show music playing on lock screen” under Notifications ^[1]. This will make playback information and basic controls appear whenever music is playing.

For Samsung devices, open Settings > Lock Screen > Notifications. Turn on “Show music player” to display track info and playback controls on the lock screen when using Samsung Music ^[2].

The options may vary by device manufacturer, but generally you can find a setting to enable lock screen music controls within the default music app’s settings or in your device’s main Settings app.

Using Third-Party Music Apps

In addition to the default music player on Android, many users prefer third-party apps like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, etc. These apps often have more features for playlists, subscriptions, podcasts and more. The good news is that most major music apps support showing media playback controls on the lock screen.

For example, with Spotify, you can enable this feature in the settings. Just go to Settings > Preferences and toggle on “Show media playback notifications.” This will make the album art and playback controls show up on your lock screen whenever you’re listening to music in Spotify.

Pandora also has a similar setting under Settings > Notification Settings. Just enable “Show Pandora activities on lock screen” to get lock screen controls. Most other music apps like Amazon Music, YouTube Music, etc. have comparable settings to enable media notifications.

The major benefit of using a third-party app is gaining access to features like playlists, streaming, and more that aren’t available on the stock music player. Just make sure to dive into the notification settings to get your music to show up on your Android lock screen.

Customizing the Media Notification

You can customize certain aspects of the media notification in Android to better match your app’s branding and design.

This includes changing the notification icon that appears in the status bar and lock screen. Each app can set their own icon with setSmallIcon() (developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Notification.Builder.html#setSmallIcon(int)). Using your app icon is recommended for consistency.

You can also customize the title and description text in the notification. Methods like setContentTitle() and setContentText() allow you to override the default text (developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Notification.Builder.html#setContentTitle(java.lang.CharSequence)).

Additionally, apps can provide a custom notification layout to have greater control over the design. This involves creating a custom XML layout file and setting it with setCustomContentView() (developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Notification.Builder.html#setCustomContentView(android.widget.RemoteViews)). See the Android developer documentation for details on building a custom layout (developer.android.com/develop/ui/views/notifications/custom-notification).

Other notification features like the large icon, accent color, and more can be tweaked as well. Just be careful not to clutter the notification or overwhelm the user.

Troubleshooting Issues

Player Not Showing On Lock Screen:

First, check that you have allowed notification access for the music app in your system settings (source). Open Settings > Notifications > Advanced > select the music app and ensure all notification channels are turned on.

You may also try restarting your device or updating the app to see if that resolves it. Some users have found that clearing app cache/data helps as well (source).

If issues persist, you can try using a different music player app as an alternative. Apps like Spotify and Google Play Music provide similar lock screen integration.

Wrong Info/Artwork Displaying:

Often this is caused by cached or outdated metadata. Try refreshing the app and deleting its cache/data to force it to reload all media files.

Ensure you have an active internet connection as most apps pull artwork and info from online databases. If artwork persists incorrectly, you may have to manually edit id3 tags on local audio files.

Automation Apps

Automation apps like MacroDroid and Tasker provide powerful ways to customize your Android lock screen with music controls. These apps allow you to set up triggers and actions to launch music apps, control playback, and modify notifications automatically in different situations.

For example, you can use MacroDroid to detect when you connect to your car’s Bluetooth and then trigger your music app to launch and begin playing automatically. The app can also swap which music app launches based on time of day or other factors.

MacroDroid provides an action to expand media notifications, ensuring the music controls and artwork show up on your lock screen whenever you want. This allows full control without ever having to unlock your phone.

However, MacroDroid cannot override some deeper system settings for the lock screen on its own. As discussed on the MacroDroid forum, it cannot display home screen widgets on a locked screen due to Android permissions.

Still, for most music customization needs, MacroDroid provides powerful automation to launch your music app, control playback, and modify notifications exactly how you want for the lock screen.

Alternative Lock Screen Apps

If the default Android lock screen doesn’t meet your needs, there are a variety of third-party lock screen apps that can provide more customization options. Many alternative lock screen apps support music controls and media notifications.

Some popular alternative lock screen apps that include music support are:

• Lock Screen Music Player – Has customizable music widgets and full media controls on the lock screen.
• Hi Locker – Offers robust theming options and music playback controls.
• GO Locker – Allows you to fully customize the look of the lock screen and add music widgets.
• Next Lock Screen – Includes customizable lock screen themes and music modules.

These alternative lock screen replacements give you more options for displaying and controlling your music playback from the lock screen. The ability to use custom widgets, themes, and layouts can help you achieve the exact look and functionality you want for your lock screen music experience.

Conclusion

In summary, there are a few different ways to get your music player to show up on your Android lock screen. The easiest method is to enable media notification access in your system settings. This will allow notifications from your default music app or other media apps to appear on your lock screen automatically. You can also customize the media notification in some music apps to change what controls are available on your lock screen.

If you want more customization options, you may need to install a third party lock screen app. These allow you to select specific apps to embed in your lock screen, like a music widget. Automation apps can also add music controls to your lock screen by triggering routines when you start playback. Just keep in mind you may need to disable some battery optimizations for full functionality.

With all of the different options available, you should be able to get your preferred music app to display playback controls and album artwork on your Android lock screen. Having quick access to music controls directly on your lock screen can be extremely convenient.