New Shazam Update Means It’s Able To Identify Music And TV Without You Asking

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Shazam has been a favorite iOS app of mine for years. Have you ever been out and about, heard a song, and wondered what it was? That’s what Shazam is for. It’s always felt like magic to me, and the app’s developers have even added the ability to identify TV shows.

The most recent update to Shazam adds a feature I’m not sure I like, the ability to listen and identify music/TV without the user asking. In the past, you’ve always had to tap the button in the center of the screen, but now an auto switch makes it possible for the app to be listening in the background even when it’s not open or the iPhone is locked.

Turning auto listen on consumes 6-10% of your iPhone’s battery life per hour, according to GigaOm. The app intelligently turns itself off completely after an hour of not being opened. I suppose you could use a feature like this to identify a movie soundtrack or a playlist at your favorite coffee shop. But if you’re watching a movie can’t you just look the soundtrack up yourself?

Shazam’s auto-tagging feature is available now as a free update in the App Store.

Source: App Store

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