The shortlist
4 things that do it.
Hum, whistle or sing for 10 to 15 seconds in the Google app and it suggests the most likely songs.
- Free
- Part of the Google app; no charge mentioned on the pages we read.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Humming with no words to go on; Google says you don't need perfect pitch.
- The catch
- It gives likely matches, not a guaranteed one. At launch it was English-only on iPhone, with 20+ languages on Android.
- Android (Google app)
- iPhone (Google app)
- Google Assistant
Sound Search in the YouTube Music app: play, sing or hum a song to find it.
- Free
- not verified: the help page says nothing about price
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Finding the song and playing it straight away, if you already use YouTube Music.
- The catch
- The help page only describes the mobile app, and you need to be signed in with microphone access. Whether it needs Premium isn't stated.
- YouTube Music mobile app
Music ID app: tap the button for music playing nearby, or sing or hum the tune.
- Free
- Free to download and use, with in-app purchases.
- Paid
- from £6.99 one-off, Remove ads (in-app purchase, UK App Store)
- Best at
- One app that does both recorded music and humming.
- The catch
- Ads unless you pay to remove them.
- iPhone
- iPad
- Apple Watch
- Android
Apple's music recognition app for songs playing around you.
- Free
- Free app, and Music Recognition is built into Apple devices. Full-song listening needs Apple Music or another supported service.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Naming a recording that's playing right now, in a shop or on the radio.
- The catch
- Apple's own pages only talk about music playing around you and never mention humming, so it's the wrong tool for a tune stuck in your head.
- iPhone
- iPad
- Mac
- Apple Watch
- Apple Vision Pro
The same shortlist, as a table
| Thing | Free tier | Paid from | Platforms | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google hum to searchrel="nofollow noopener" | Part of the Google app; no charge mentioned on the pages we read. | not checked | Android (Google app), iPhone (Google app), Google Assistant | It gives likely matches, not a guaranteed one. At launch it was English-only on iPhone, with 20+ languages on Android. |
| YouTube Music Sound Searchrel="nofollow noopener" | not verified: the help page says nothing about price | not checked | YouTube Music mobile app | The help page only describes the mobile app, and you need to be signed in with microphone access. Whether it needs Premium isn't stated. |
| SoundHoundrel="nofollow noopener" | Free to download and use, with in-app purchases. | £6.99 one-off, Remove ads (in-app purchase, UK App Store) | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android | Ads unless you pay to remove them. |
| Shazamrel="nofollow noopener" | Free app, and Music Recognition is built into Apple devices. Full-song listening needs Apple Music or another supported service. | not checked | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro | Apple's own pages only talk about music playing around you and never mention humming, so it's the wrong tool for a tune stuck in your head. |
How we checked
What we read, and what we haven't tested yet.
We read each app's own help pages, launch posts and UK App Store listing on 2 October 2026. We haven't yet hummed the same five tunes into each app, so we don't rank them on accuracy. That test is next: one chart hit, one old song, one TV theme, one classical piece and one sung off-key, into every app, noting which ones name it.
If none of these fit
The manual way.
Know any lyrics at all? Type the bit you remember into a search engine in quotes. If it's from a TV show, advert or film, the soundtrack listing for that episode is often quicker than any app.