Facebook is prepared to update the Android and iOS versions of its mobile application so users can tag TV shows or songs in their posts.
The revised apps will include a tool that turns on the phone’s microphone, which will then listen to the program or tune that’s playing in the vicinity of the user (similar to Shazam). Facebook said the app should be able to recognize most TV shows within 15 seconds. Users can than choose to share that TV show or song as part of their status update.
Facebook spent a year engineering the function and has signed deals with 160 TV stations, as well as Spotify and Rdio, to help. The tool will even allow people to listen to a preview of songs tagged in posts. The updated mobile apps should be available in the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store later today.
Facebook didn’t say if the feature will find its way to the BlackBerry or Windows Phone platforms.