How to Use Shazam on iPhone & iPad Without the App

This guide shows you how to identify music on your iPhone or iPad without installing the Shazam app. You’ll learn the built-in shortcuts in iOS and iPadOS that let you recognize songs instantly, even when offline or wearing headphones. No downloads or extra setup required—just your device’s settings.

What You’ll Need

An iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 14.3 or later (for the Control Center toggle).
An active internet connection for song identification (unless you’ve downloaded Shazam’s offline mode, which requires the app—so this guide uses online identification only).
Your device’s microphone enabled for Shazam (you’ll be prompted to allow access).

Step-by-Step

Enable Shazam in Control Center: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap Control Center. Scroll down to More Controls and find Music Recognition (the icon looks like a Shazam-like squiggle). Tap the green + button next to it. It will move up to Included Controls. You can drag it to reposition if you like.
Open Control Center: On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge. On iPad, swipe down from the top-right corner (or use the same gesture as your iPhone model).
Tap the Music Recognition button: It looks like a small Shazam icon (a circle with a squiggle). Tap it once. The button will turn blue and start pulsing, indicating it’s listening. You’ll see a notification banner at the top of the screen that says “Listening…”
Let it listen: Keep the music playing. Shazam will listen for about 5–10 seconds. When it identifies the song, a notification will appear with the song title, artist, and album. Tap the notification to open a preview in Shazam’s website (or in Apple Music if you have it).
View your history: To see all your recent Shazam tags, open Control Center again and press and hold the Music Recognition button. A small pop-up will show your last few tags. Tap one to open it. Alternatively, you can find your full history by going to shazam.com and signing in with the same Apple ID you use on your device, or by opening the Shazam app (if you ever install it) and signing in—your tags sync.
Use Siri as a shortcut: You can also say “Hey Siri, what song is this?” while music is playing. Siri will listen and identify the song, showing the result on screen. This works without the Shazam app installed, as Siri uses Shazam’s technology built into iOS.
Offline use (optional): If you want to identify songs without an internet connection, you need the Shazam app installed (it’s free). But since this guide is about not downloading the app, skip this step—just know that the Control Center method requires internet.

Common Mistakes

Not adding the control first: If you don’t see the Music Recognition button in Control Center, you haven’t added it. Follow step 1 exactly.
Microphone permission: The first time you use the button, iOS will ask if you want to allow Shazam to access the microphone. If you tap “Don’t Allow,” the feature won’t work. Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and ensure the toggle for Shazam is on.
Too much background noise: Shazam works best when the music is clear. If there’s talking, wind, or other loud sounds, it may fail. Move closer to the speaker or wait for a quieter moment.
Holding the button too long: A single tap is enough. Pressing and holding does nothing different—it just opens the history pop-up, which might confuse you.
Expecting offline identification: Without the app, you need an internet connection. If you’re in airplane mode, it won’t work.

Tips

Use it with headphones: If you’re wearing headphones and want to identify a song playing on another device, hold the headphones near the speaker—the mic on your iPhone will still pick it up.
Auto-recognition with Shortcuts: You can create an automation in the Shortcuts app that triggers Shazam when you open a specific app or at a certain time. But that requires setting up a shortcut, which is beyond this guide—still, it’s a neat trick.
Add to Apple Music: If you have an Apple Music subscription, you can tap the notification and then tap “Add to Apple Music” to save the song to your library.
Check your history later: Even if you miss the notification, your tags are saved. Go to shazam.com on your device, sign in with your Apple ID, and you’ll see all your tags.

Troubleshooting

Button not in Control Center: Go to Settings > Control Center and scroll down to More Controls. If you don’t see Music Recognition, make sure your device is updated to iOS 14.3 or later. If it’s still missing, restart your device.
Button is grayed out: This usually means the microphone is in use by another app. Close any app that’s using the mic (like a voice recorder or a call) and try again.
No notification after listening: Check your internet connection. If you’re on Wi-Fi, try switching to cellular data or vice versa. Also, make sure the music isn’t too quiet or distorted.
“Shazam Cannot Connect” error: This is a network issue. Turn off Wi-Fi and use cellular data, or reset your network settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings). Note that this will forget Wi-Fi passwords.
History not showing: Ensure you’re signed into the same Apple ID on the website and your device. If you’re using a different Apple ID, you won’t see your tags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this use data? Yes, identifying a song uses a small amount of data (around 1–2 MB per tag). If you’re on a limited plan, be mindful.

Can I use it on Apple Watch? Yes, if you have an Apple Watch, you can add the Shazam complication, but that requires the app on your watch. The Control Center method on iPhone is separate.

Will it work with any music? Shazam can identify most commercial songs, including live performances and covers, but it may fail on obscure or very noisy tracks.

Is there a limit to how many songs I can identify? No, you can tag as many as you want. Your history is stored indefinitely.

Can I identify music from my own microphone? Yes, it works with any sound your mic picks up, including music playing from your device’s speaker.

Does it work in other countries? Yes, Shazam works globally as long as you have an internet connection.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →