Facebook Launches "Audio Recognition" Feature

The latest version of Facebook for iOS can automatically recognize a song or TV show a user is watching and adds it to his/her status. In an

published Wednesday, The Verge reporter Ellis Hamburger commented on

new “audio recognition” feature for iOS which “automatically recognize a song or TV show a user is watching and adds it to his/her status.” In recognizing background noise, Facebook can draw users' attention to TV show and movie pages with a link to the corresponding page attached to the status. The Verge added that this feature sets the groundwork for “second scree” activities, including ads. Hamburger wrote, “You can opt in to the feature for the first time by tapping a new button inside the status window. When there's a match, a badge pops up over Facebook's feelings button, a small smiley face. The hope is that there will be a match by the time you're done writing a status. In my brief tests of the new service, audio recognition found matches to a few songs, movies, and TV shows in less than five seconds.” In the company's attempt to relieve fear from this “listening device”, the app informs users that “Sounds are only used to find a match and are never stored.”