Upcoming upgrade could identify songs while users switch to other apps and deliver results through notifications
Google is working on an upgrade to its Song Search feature that could allow users to identify music in the background, even after leaving the Google app and switching to another application.
The development was discovered in version 17.56.14 of the Google app and follows the gradual rollout of an updated voice search interface that brings Search, AI Mode, Live and Song Search together on a single page.
Currently, Google’s Song Search feature requires users to keep the app open while it listens for music. If users switch to another application during the identification process, the search does not return a result and the process must be started again.
The upcoming feature changes this behaviour by allowing Song Search to continue listening in the background. Once a song is identified, the Google app can surface a notification containing the result, allowing users to continue using their device while the search is running.
Background listening will reportedly remain active only for a limited period. This could help reduce battery consumption while still giving users more flexibility when identifying music.
If Song Search fails to identify a track, the system can display a notification reading “Tap to search the music again”. Tapping the notification immediately restarts the identification process without requiring users to manually reopen the Google app.
Another notable change concerns where users are taken after a song has been identified. Under the upcoming implementation, tapping the result redirects users to an AI Mode result. The current experience instead opens the standard Google Search results page, showing information related to the song and artist.
The change could indicate that Google is considering AI Mode as the default destination for song identification results within the Google app. However, the feature is still under development, so its final behaviour could change before a wider release.
Google has not announced an official release date for the background Song Search functionality. Although the feature reportedly worked during early testing, its availability remains uncertain.
The upcoming functionality would also bring Google’s broader Song Search experience closer to the Pixel’s Now Playing feature, which already provides notifications when songs are automatically identified.
If released widely, background song recognition could make Google’s music identification tool more convenient, particularly for users who want to continue browsing or using other apps while waiting for a result.