Shazam has been helping us to name songs and identify unfamiliar music for years, but it’s only with iOS 14 that the beloved app has been given the full integration treatment by Apple, which bought it in 2018. With the iOS 14.2 update, you can now add Shazam to your iPhone’s Control Center, and you can also use the music recognition app with Siri. We explain how to do this, while we also run through how to use Shazam in iOS 14.
How to use Shazam in iOS 14 via the Control Center
It’s pretty easy to open apps, but assuming that you want to catch a song quickly before it ends, you can now add Shazam to the Control Center. Doing this allows you to recognize music with a swipe and a tap.
To add Shazam to Control Center, just go to Settings > Control Center. Next, scroll down to the More Controls subheading and tap the green plus icon next to Music Recognition (identifiable by the Shazam logo next to it). This will add Shazam to the Control Center.
To use Shazam in the Control Center, swipe down from the top-right of the corner of the touch screen. Then, tap the Shazam icon. You’ll have to wait for a moment while the app identifies whatever music is playing. Also, it’s worth pointing that, in contrast to the music recognition feature of, say, Pixel phones, Shazam won’t run in the background. This means you’ll have to press it again if you want to identify another song.
How to use Shazam in iOS 14 via Siri
It’s even easier using Shazam through Siri. Just say, “Hey, Siri” (or hold the Side button), and then say, “Shazam.” You can also say, “What song is playing?”, if you like mixing things up a little.
It’s worth trying again if Siri/Shazam fails to identify a track on the first try. We’re not sure why this is the case, but it’s possible certain passages of music are harder than others to identify. Also, while Shazam does a good job of identifying even very obscure music, we’ve also had a few false positives in our time, so if you’re really unfamiliar with a track, it’s worth Shazam-ing it more than once to make sure you’ve got the right song.
How to use Shazam on iOS 14
Using Shazam within the Shazam app itself works along very similar lines. Once you’ve opened the app, you can press the Shazam button to identify whatever song is currently playing.
The fun doesn’t stop there, because once you have at least one Shazam search under your belt, you’ll be able to see your previous searches under the My Music tab. If you scroll down from this tab, you’ll see your Recent Shazams and Playlists For You, which generates playlists based on what you’ve searched for in the past.
That’s the essence of the app, but there are a few other features worth mentioning. Most notably, there’s the Auto Shazam feature, which you can run in the background, allowing Shazam to identify songs as you go about your business. To activate it, simply tap and hold the Shazam button after launching the app. You can also activate the feature by holding the Shazam app icon on the Home screen and then tapping Auto Shazam. Note: this feature will drain your battery faster than usual, just so you know.
Another nice feature is the ability to Shazam immediately on starting the app. To activate this feature, open Shazam and swipe up the My Music tab, so it fills the screen. Next, tap the Settings cogwheel in the top-left corner of the screen, before tapping Shazam on app start. This means Shazam will being identifying music as soon as you launch it.
Lastly, Shazam lets you connect to music streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify, so that you can listen to tracks again after identifying them. Again, go to the app’s settings then tap Connect next to either the Spotify or Apple Music icons, assuming you have an account with either. There will also be an option to connect to Deezer and other music apps, if you have them on your iPhone.
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