Shazam

Shazam, published by Apple on Google Play, has one job and does it quickly: telling you what song is playing. The app has passed 500 million installs and sits in the Music and Audio category. Beyond identification, it offers concert listings, lyrics, music videos, charts, and links into streaming services.

The latest update addresses a situation that used to be awkward. When headphones were connected, the phone microphone could not hear the music playing in your ears. Shazam now lets you choose how it listens in that case. The new option joins several other ways to trigger Shazam, and each of them depends on permissions you can grant or refuse.

What the Apple-published build requires

• Updated: September 25, 2026
• Version: varies with device
• Requires Android: varies with device
• Developer: Apple Inc.
• Installs: 500,000,000+

Google Play data as of September 26, 2026

Choosing how Shazam listens with headphones

According to the release notes, you can now pick how Shazam listens when wired or wireless headphones are connected, for more accurate results. Select the Headphones icon to identify music playing in your favorite apps, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. This is useful when a song in a short video clip catches your ear and you are listening privately.

To hear audio from other apps, Shazam uses the Share Screen permission, which the listing explains is used to temporarily access your device’s audio output. Android will show a prompt before this starts. If you only ever identify music playing in the room around you, you can leave it declined.

Faster ways to Shazam a song

You do not have to open the app every time. Shazam can sit in the notification bar, or you can add its Quick Settings tile to identify music in any app. A home screen widget offers another one-tap option. Auto Shazam keeps listening so it can pick up more than one song, even after you leave the app, which suits a coffee shop playlist or a radio show.

The listing also says Shazam can recognize songs while you are offline. Results appear once your connection returns, and everything you identify is kept in your library, where you can revisit your discovery history later. Keep in mind that Auto Shazam uses the microphone continuously while it is on, so turn it off when you are done.

Once a song is identified, you can follow real-time, karaoke-style lyrics, watch music videos from Apple Music or YouTube, and browse Shazam Charts to see what is trending locally and globally. Shazam can also show live music shows near you, either from artists you follow or through curated recommendations, and it suggests songs and playlists similar to what you have already discovered.

Permissions, streaming links, and settings

All of Shazam’s permissions are optional. Microphone access is used to identify music around you, location shows where songs were found and upcoming events nearby, and notifications deliver personalized updates based on your activity. You can still use Shazam without them, though some features will be unavailable. You can review or change each permission later from App info in Android settings.

Any song can be opened directly in Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or Deezer. If you connect an Apple Music or Spotify account, discovered songs can be added automatically. Sharing works through apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat, and a dark theme is available in the settings. Shazam is free to use, and features and availability can vary by country.

Song results, lyrics and charts

Headphones, offline tags and permissions

Can Shazam identify songs playing through my headphones?

Yes. The latest update lets you choose how Shazam listens with headphones connected. Tap the Headphones icon to identify music playing in apps such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

What happens if I Shazam a song while offline?

The Google Play listing says Shazam can recognize songs offline. You get the results once the phone is back online.

Do I have to grant every permission Shazam asks for?

No. Microphone, location, notification and screen sharing permissions are all optional, though some features will not work without them.