About a week ago, Google began testing an audio identification feature for Circle to Search that would allow users to search for unknown songs playing on their phone. It was originally thought that the update would not arrive for some time – October at the latest – but the tech giant apparently decided that the feature did not need further testing and has begun rolling it out.
A user on the OneUI subreddit came across Song Search (as he called it) on his Galaxy S23 after installing version 15.32.37.28 of the Google app. He posted several screenshots of the tool in action, and from the looks of things, not much has changed since the demo. When you enable Circle to Search, you’ll see a new button at the bottom with a music note icon. Tapping it will start the music identification process.
The song search is very powerful as it can detect what is playing on the phone and what songs are playing externally on another device. You can even hum or sing into the microphone and it will pick up the tune, assuming you are a good singer. Music results are displayed on a results page within Google Search.
Thanks to the update, Circle to Search effectively replaces third-party identification apps like Shazam, but it still has a place on smartphones. However, Google’s tool does not provide direct song lyrics or concert information. You still have to look up this information yourself in the search engine. And as far as we know, the software does not save the results in a library.
Availability
Note that the patch may not be available for you yet. Several commenters in the Reddit thread claim they have Google app version 15.32.37.28 on their device but do not have access to Song Search. Most likely, these users already have the feature and will have to wait for a server-side activation.
For now, it looks like the company is rolling out the update in waves, so owners will just have to wait for it to arrive. There’s no information on whether there are plans to roll out the update to other smartphones, though we’ve asked Google to ask and will update this story if we get a response.
There may be more from Circle to Search later this year. Android Authority looked at the files of a recent beta version of a Google app and discovered clues that suggest Pixel Screenshots could become part of CTS. In case you don’t know, Pixel Screenshots is an app that lets you save and organize screenshots you take on your phone. It’s similar to Microsoft Recall, but a more secure version.
Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best Galaxy phones for 2024.
