We could figure out the title of a song playing around us for some time, but now there is a new option in a feature that may surprise you.
As reported by ZDNet, Google's Circle to Search, the new Google Lens-esque feature, is slowly gaining the ability to identify songs without using an app like Shazam.
The surprise Circle to Search change was found by a Redditor after a recent Google app update. Based on comments and our own testing, it appears song identification is on a gradual rollout, like most Google updates.
It was hinted that the feature was coming before the Pixel launch event earlier this month, but Google did not make any announcements during their Made by Google presentation.
Circle to Search launched with the Google Pixel 8 lineup in 2023 but picked up steam when a version appeared on Samsung's flagship S24 series earlier this year. The search feature lets you circle an item on your screen. Everything in the circle will be identified for purchase, knowledge, translation or copying text.
Google Assistant already has a song identification feature, so we imagine Circle to Search uses that tool to find songs. And Pixel devices have had Now Playing, which offers similar results for a while now. The Pixel version allows you to set your lock screen to identify songs.
After you've updated your device, here's how to see if you have a song ID in your version of Circle to Search. Press the home button or the navigation bar to open Circle to Search. When the search bar opens, you will see a music note icon.
Like Shazam or the Google assistant tool, a "listening" overlay will display as it searches for the song. Eventually, a song title and artist name will show up.
Apparently, you can also sing or hum a song into your phone and Circle to Search will attempt to find a song from that as well. How well that works really depends on how much of that earworm you actually remember.
Google hasn't officially announced this feature. We reached out to the company and a spokesperson told us, "We're constantly experimenting with new ways to help people more easily find the information they're seeking." However, they had nothing else to share about Circle to Search or the song ID feature.
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