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Have you ever heard a song and wondered what song it was? Perhaps you just can’t remember, or you and a friend disagreed about what the song was.
Now your iPhone can quickly and easily identify what song is playing with just one tap.
Earlier this month, Apple released an update for iPhones and iPads, iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2, that lets you easily identify songs that are playing. With this update, you can now add a Shazam music recognition button to Control Center. Tap that button to see the title and artist of a song that’s playing.
No more fumbling around to open an app, only to have the song end before the app names that tune. With this new feature, your iPhone can identify music much faster.
How Music Recognition Works on Your iPhone
By adding the Shazam music recognition button to Control Center on your iPhone, you can identify a song with just a tap. Apple acquired the Shazam music recognition app back in 2017 and now has added Shazam music recognition as a handy tool in Control Center.
With the Shazam in Control Center, your iPhone can show the title and artist of a song that’s playing on your iPhone or from a different speaker. You can use the Shazam button to identify a song playing on your TV, Bluetooth speaker, or other music sources. It can even identify songs playing on your AirPods.
So long as you’ve updated your iPhone to iOS 14.2 (or your iPad to iPadOS 14.2), you can add the Shazam button to Control Center even if you don’t have the Shazam app on your device.
How to Add the Shazam Button to Control Center
Adding the Shazam button to Control Center is almost as quick and easy as using the Shazam button. To add Shazam to Control Center, open Settings => Control Center.
In Control Center in Settings, you’ll see a list of apps and tools you can add to Control Center. Tap the green plus sign + next to Music Recognition to add the Shazam button to Control Center.
To move the Shazam button to a different location in Control Center, press and hold the three stacked lines to the right of Music Recognition in Settings, then drag it up or down the list.
Tip => While you’re in Control Center settings, be sure to add/arrange other helpful tools to Control Center, such as Camera and Flashlight, to make them easily accessible.
After you’ve added the Music Recognition button in Settings, you’ll see the button with the Shazam logo appear in Control Center.
How to Use the Shazam Button in Control Center
Hear a song playing and don’t know what it is? Tap the Shazam button!
To use the Shazam button, open Control Center:
- swipe down from the upper right corner for iPhones with Face ID or
- swipe up from the bottom of the screen for iPhones with a Home button.
Then tap the Shazam button. The button will turn blue while it’s listening to the song.
When Shazam recognizes a song, a banner appears at the top of the screen showing the title and artist of the song.
Tap the banner to open the song in Apple Music. If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can then add the song to your Apple Music Library with a tap.
Alternatives to Shazam in Control Center
Having the Shazam button in Control Center isn’t the only way to identify music using your iPhone. You can download the Shazam app for free from the App Store and use it to name a tune. But opening the app takes more time than just tapping the Shazam button in Control Center.
With the Shazam app loaded onto your iPhone, you can ask Siri to name a tune. But Siri won’t be able to name a tune that’s currently playing on your iPhone or on your AirPods. When you ask Siri a question, the sound playing on your iPhone pauses, including music that’s currently playing.
So using the Shazam button in Control Center is the easiest, quickest, and most versatile way to identify songs with your iPhone.
Your Thoughts
Do you ever wonder what song you’re listening to? Have you ever used Shazam as an app or with Siri? Did you add the Shazam button to Control Center on your iPhone or iPad?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
* iPhone image courtesy of Omid Armin on Unsplash
Hi Carolyn,
Amazing. This helps us get around when we cannot quite grasp the tune and name of the song, without going mad, LOL.
Ryan
Hi Ryan, You’re exactly right. We can wrack our brains trying to remember what song that is, or we can quickly find out with this Shazam button. And if you’ve ever disagreed with a friend about a song, this button can resolve the issue. Very handy!