Apple has quietly added a new feature to iPhones which impacts over 300 MILLION users
Apple has quietly added a new iPhone feature which could be game-changing for over 300 million users.
If you listen to music on your iPhone, then you've likely used the Shazam app to identify songs.
Now, an update will make it even easier to find new songs and keep them all in one place.
With the latest version of Shazam, iPhone users will be able to identify music from the iOS control centre and add them directly to a playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
In the update notes, Shazam says: 'We’ve made syncing songs to Apple Music and Spotify better than ever!
'Shazam will now include songs found via Music Recognition in Control Centre, Siri and Shortcuts in your “My Shazam Tracks” playlists in Apple Music or Spotify.'
That means you won't even need to open the Shazam app to save a track to your device.
And using the feature for yourself is as simple as activating one easy-to-find setting.
Apple has quietly unveiled a new feature for the iPhone which will affect over 300 million monthly users (stock image)
The latest update will be big news for music lovers, as it gives iPhone users an even easier way to identify and save new music (stock image)
Shazam is a music identification app that was purchased by Apple in 2018 and allows users to find the name and artist of any song they can hear.
The app can be synced with the user's Spotify or Apple Music account so that any identified songs are automatically added to a playlist.
Since the iOS 14.2 update in 2020, iPhone users have been able to access Shazam directly from the control centre.
However, songs identified through the control centre were not automatically added to the My Shazam Playlist, and had to be saved manually through the Shazam app.
Shazam Version 18.9, released on March 5, fixes that issue, so that songs recorded with the iPhone's 'Recognise Music' feature in the control centre are added to your playlist.
This gives iPhone users an even quicker and easier way of identifying and saving songs.
On social media, music fans rushed to celebrate the update.
One commenter wrote: 'Incredible how after basically quarter of a century Shazam is still the only good app.'
The lastest version of Shazam will allow iPhone users to record songs directly though the Control Centre and automatically add them to a playlist in Spotify or Apple Music
Another wrote: 'This is great to see! I use Shazam quite a bit.'
While one iPhone user added: 'One of my fave features on this phone is the lil shazam feature!'
In order to use this feature, you just need to have the Shazam app installed and the 'Recognise Music' control added to the Control Centre.
To add the Recognise Music option, swipe down from the top right of your iPhone to open the Control Centre, then tap and hold until you enter editing mode.
You will know this is active when the icons start to flash and the 'Add a Control' option appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap 'Add a Control' and search for 'recognise music', then drag it to where you want it to be on the Control Centre.
Once that is set up, you'll need to turn on syncing in the Shazam app itself.
Open the app and swipe up to find the home screen, then click on the cog-shaped settings button in the top left-hand corner.
To use the feature, ensure your music app of choice is connected to Shazam and activate 'Sync your songs' in the Shazam app. Now, when you record a song through the control centre it will automatically be added to the 'My Shazam Tracks' playlist in Spotify or Apple Music (pictured)
If you haven't already connected Shazam to your chosen music streaming service, you'll now have the option to select 'Connect' next to either Spotify or Apple Music.
When the apps are connected, you will see the option to 'Sync your songs' with the app, simply toggle this on to allow your playlist to automatically update.
Shazam says: 'Simply toggle “Sync your songs” off and on in Shazam settings to re-sync all your previously discovered songs from the Shazam app.
'You may need to reopen Spotify to see the playlist refreshed.'
Now, when you next hear music you want to save, simply open the control centre and tap the Recognise Music icon to add that song automatically to your Shazam playlist.
THE TRILLION DOLLAR RISE OF APPLE
1976: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1 1976 as they set about selling computer kits to hobbyists, each of which was built by Wozniak.
The first product was the Apple I.
1977: Apple released the Apple II in June, which was the first PC made for the mass market.
Steve Jobs unveils Apple Computer Corporation's new Macintosh February 6, 1984 in California.
1981: Jobs became chairman.
1984: The Macintosh was introduced during an ad break for the Super Bowl and later officially unveiled during a launch event. It was discontinued a year later and Jobs left the firm.
1987: Apple released the Macintosh II, the first colour Mac.
1997: Apple announces it will acquire NeXT software in a $400 million deal that involves Jobs returning to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took the role in 2000.
The then Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Steve Jobs, with the iPhone
2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS X and the first-generation iPod.
The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001, at an event in Cupertino and was able to hold up to 1,000 songs.
2007: Apple unveils the iPhone.
2010: The first iPad was unveiled.
2011: Jobs resigned in 2011 due to illness, handing the CEO title to Tim Cook. Jobs died in October from pancreatic cancer.
2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones - the 6 and 6 Plus.
2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr Dre, Apple launched Apple Music to compete with Spotify and other music streaming services.
2016: Apple returned to its roots and announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Meanwhile, the firm is embroiled in a legal battle with the FBI, involving the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farook, who died in a shootout after carrying out a deadly December attack in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was dropped on March 28 after the FBI said a third party was able to unlock the device.
2017: Apple introduces the iPhone X, which removes the home button to make way for a futuristic edge-to-edge screen design and a new FaceID system that uses advanced sensors and lasers to unlock phones with just the owner's face.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks at an Apple event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
2018: In a first for the company, Apple introduces new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage and spend less time on their devices. The move was spawned by a strongly worded letter from shareholders that urged the firm to address the growing problem of smartphone addiction among kids and teenagers.
2019: In January, Apple reports its first decline in revenues and profits in a decade. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed steep declines in revenue from China.
2020: In March, Apple closes all its bricks and mortar retail stores outside of China in response to coronavirus.
2021: In an online virtual event in April CEO Tim Cook declared Apple's goal of becoming carbon neutral for Earth Day. Later in the year the iPhone 13 was announced.
2022: In September the iPhone 14 was announced. One of the new features included a new sensor to detect if a user had been in a car crash as well as an improved camera system.
2023: Apple brought back its 'Home Pod' after the first generation was discontinued. The 'Home Pod' can be seen as an alternative to Amazon's Alexa or Google Home as it is powered by voice commands.
2024: Apple makes its first steps into artificial intelligence with the release of Apple Intelligence. The features are not all released at once with many delayed until the following year.
