Several users have stated that Siri is unable to identify songs on their iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro. In this article, I’ll explain what to do when Siri doesn’t identify songs for you anymore.
The solutions explained on this article applies to iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro max.
Siri uses Shazam to identify a song. Now owned by Apple, Shazam is a music recognition program that can identify a song merely by listening to it.
To identify a song using Siri, all you need to do is, say, Hey Sir which song is this?
” that follows makes Siri listen to and identify the song for you.
Please Note: Instead of using the “Hey Siri” voice command, you can also long press the(Sleep/Wake button in iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro) to activate Siri.
If Siri/Shazam is unable to identify songs on your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 pro max, follow the troubleshooting tips below to fix the issue.
It appears that Siri and Shazam music recognition features are not working for some users. It further appears that when users wanted to use Siri to identify a song, Siri/Shazam responds something like:
- Sorry, I can’t identify songs for you.
- Sorry, I cannot do that.
- Or sometimes, Siri is taking too long to respond to a song recognition request.
If you find Siri/Shazam music recognition not working on iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, follow the steps below to troubleshoot the problem:
Fix Siri/Shazam music recognition not working on iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro
Please try these steps if you are having this music recognition problem on your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro:
Get close to the audio source
The first step is to move as close as possible to the audio source of song you want to identify. This ensures that the sound is clear to Siri. This helps Siri easily and quickly accept the tune for processing.
Check System status
The second step is to go to Apple System Status Site and take a look if there are any reported issues with Siri. This page will show if the Siri service is working or not. If the page shows that the service is having issues there is little you can do to address this issue. The only thing you can do is to wait for Apple to fix it.
Check your iPhone and settings
If Siri/Shazam is Unable to Identify Songs after trying the above solutions, try these fixes:
- Make sure Siri is enabled in Settings: go to Settings > Siri & Search
Check that you enabled Listen for Hey Siri, Press Side Button for Siri and Allow Siri When Locked. - Make sure that Siri is set to the correct language: Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Language.
- Disable Low Power Mode: if you have Low Power Mode enabled, Apple disables Hey Siri for power-saving purposes.
- Make sure your mics and speakers are clean and not covered. If you see something, use an interdental brush, super soft toothbrush, hearing aid cleaning kits, or a specialized port cleaning tool and clear away that debris.
- Take off protective case if you are using one.
- Check For Any Restrictions on Siri: go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps. Make sure that Siri & Dictation is toggled on.
Restart your iPhone
Simply restart your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro and open Siri and try to identify a song again. Here’s how:
Press and hold the side button and the volume down (or up) button together until the “slide to power off” screen appears. Drag the slider to turn off the device. Wait 30 seconds. Then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
Check the internet connection on your iPhone
It is important to note that 90% of Siri’s magic happens in the Apple Servers and not your device. In iOS 15, Apple added the ability for Siri to work off-line. Unfortunately, you cannot use Siri offline to identify music.
If Siri says something like sorry, I’m having trouble connecting to the network or try again in a little while, your device’s internet connection might be the reason!
It is, therefore, important that you have a strong WiFi or cellular signal when trying to get Siri to identify songs on your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro.
Try the following steps:
- Toggle Airplane Mode on and then off by going to Settings > Airplane Mode.
- Restart your router/modem. Unplug them from power outlet, wait a few minutes, then plug them back in.
- Turn off VPNs by going to Settings > VPN.
- Reset your network settings by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Please note that resetting network settings will delete all of your network related settings such as your saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN settings, etc.
See also:
Update iOS
Make sure that your your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. You can check this by going to Settings > General > Software Update. This will check for updates. And if there is an update, follow the onscreen prompts to update your iPhone.
Force Restart Your iPhone
Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then press and hold the Power/Side button until the Apple Logo appears on the screen.
Check the date and time
Make sure that the date and time on your iPhone are set correctly. To do this, start the Settings app and tap General, then tap Date & Time. You may also want to turn on Set Automatically.
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