About a week ago, Google began testing an audio identification feature for Circle to Search, giving users a way to search for unknown songs playing on their phones. The update was originally not supposed to be released for some time (October at the latest), but the tech giant apparently decided that the feature didn’t need any further testing and began rolling it out.
A user on the OneUI subreddit found the Song Search feature (as it's called) on their Galaxy S23 after installing version 15.32.37.28 of the Google app. They posted several screenshots of the tool in action, and from the looks of it, not much has changed from the demo. When you activate Circle to Search, you'll see a new button with a music note icon at the bottom, and tapping on it initiates the music identification process.
The song search feature is very effective, as it can identify what's playing on your phone and songs that are playing externally on another device. You can even hum or sing into the microphone and the app will pick up the tune, provided you're a good enough singer. Music results appear on a results page within Google Search.
With the update, Circle to Search effectively replaces third-party identification apps like Shazam, though it still has a place on smartphones. Google's tool doesn't provide direct lyrics or inform you of upcoming concerts. You still have to search for that information yourself in the search engine. And as far as we can tell, the software doesn't save the results to a library.
Availability
One thing to keep in mind is that the patch may not be available for you yet. Several commenters on the Reddit thread claim that they have version 15.32.37.28 of the Google app on their device, but they don't have access to Song Search. Those users most likely already have the feature and will need to wait for it to go live on the server.
Right now, it looks like the company is rolling out the update in waves, so owners will simply have to wait until it arrives. There's no word on whether there are plans to expand the update to other smartphones, though we've reached out to Google to ask and will update this story if we hear back.
There may be more new developments coming to Circle to Search later this year. Android Authority analyzed the files for a recent beta version of Google’s app and found hints that Pixel Screenshots could become part of CTS. If you’re not familiar, Pixel Screenshots is an app that lets you save and organize screenshots you take with your phone. It’s similar to Microsoft Recall, though it’s a more secure version.
Be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Galaxy phones for 2024.
