Samsung Galaxy phones are getting a great free software upgrade from the Google Pixel 9

This is a nifty feature

Samsung Galaxy S24 review
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Quick Summary

One of the coolest new Android features has started landing on Samsung handsets.

That will be music to the ears of audiophiles, as the feature brings song recognition capabilities.

If you're a fan of the best Android phones on the market, you're really spoiled right now. New models from a wide range of brands have made the market a really exciting place to be for fans.

We recently saw the launch of the new Google Pixel 9 series, for example. Those devices promise a really intuitive experience, packed with AI and features which are actually usable (if you missed it, here are 5 of my favourites).

Now, one of the most popular features from that launch event is coming to Samsung phones. While Circle to Search won't be news to anyone in that sphere, the new element of that allows users to search for music.

That enables users to identify music playing on device or in the surrounding area. Think of it as a kind of built-in Shazam and you're basically there.

Far from just recognising official tracks, though, the app will also pick up sang or hummed tunes. I'm eager to test this out, as I'm quite sure my atonal drawl would offer a tough test for the system.

It's a great upgrade for users. While it's not a massive leap, it does bring all of your music recognition needs in-house. That will be a benefit for users who don't like to install lots of additional apps on their devices.

One thing it doesn't do, though, is integrate the Now Playing feature. That can be found on Pixel handsets, allowing users to keep a log of all of the music played around them. 

That's a really handy thing to have, and it's something which I'd love to have seen rolled out to more devices. Integrating it with this feature may well have been a great opportunity, but it's not one which has come to fruition.

While the first users of Samsung handsets are seeing this feature on their phone, don't be alarmed if you don't get it right away. The update is being pushed out, but will likely happen in batches over the coming days and weeks.

Sam Cross
Senior Staff Writer

Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.