“Device Personalization Services” is the method through which Google delivers and updates features like Now Playing (on Pixel), Live Caption, and smart actions in notifications to Android devices. This app updated via the Play Store is now being renamed to “Android System Intelligence,” at least on Google Pixel phones.
Functionality offered by DPS differs from device-to-device with the fullest experience found on Pixel. On Google phones, you get the ability to see captions for all playing media — since expanded to other OEMs, camera-powered Screen Attention to make sure your display doesn’t go to sleep while you’re looking at it, and Now Playing.
The latter listens for songs playing in the background and quickly identifies them on your lockscreen or the bottom of the notification shade. You can also place it on the homescreen with a widget accessed through the usual long-press.
You might have recently noticed that the “Now Playing history” widget is now at the very top of that list because it’s no longer listed under Device Personalization Services. Rather, Google has decided to rename it “Android System Intelligence” with version R.22.playstore.pixel3.386404629 of the application. This update is not widely rolled out yet and we’ve so far only encountered it on a Pixel 3 running Android 11. Third-party devices where Live Caption is available will presumably also see the new name.
It’s also renamed in the “App info” page, but “Device Personalization Services” is still in Settings > Privacy where you’re able to clear local data your device has learned. From there, you can also determine whether you want to see “smart text suggestions in the keyboard suggestion strip including smart reply and paste.”
Other functionality powered by Android System Intelligence, which shares the same icons as DPS, is improved copy/paste and Smart Text Selection. When users highlight a phone number, they get a shortcut to open the Phone app and dial or launch Google Maps with addresses.
Google previously renamed the Pixel’s “Connectivity Health” app to “Adaptive Connectivity Services.” Overall, Android System Intelligence is a better, more descriptive name than DPS, especially when looking for Now Playing.
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