Google Search can now tune an instrument

Google Search has several useful features lying in wait for searchers to stumble upon them, and today it's getting one more. Google has added a chromatic tuner to the service, which means you can now use Google Search to tune an instrument. If you need to tune something like a guitar and don't have a tuner handy, then Google's tuner could be handy in a pinch.

The chromatic tuner was first discovered by Android Police, and it can be found by typing "Google tuner" into Search (interestingly, my searches for "chromatic tuner" and "instrument tuner" didn't surface Google's tuner at the top of the results). Of course, you'll need a microphone connected to your device for the tuner to work, making smartphones the logical choice for this tool – though a desktop with a reasonably decent mic should work just fine too.

Since this is a chromatic tuner, it can tune to all of the notes on the chromatic scale and tell you whether to tune up or down to hit a specific semitone. Google's tuner should be able to tune a wide range of instruments, but it'll probably be most helpful in tuning stringed instruments like guitars and violins.

While most musicians probably have a hardware tuner ready to go (or just tune by ear), as we alluded to in the opening, Google's tuner is probably a good enough alternative when you don't have a hardware tuner on hand. Paired with Google's metronome tool, Search now offers a pair of necessary tools for musicians.

This isn't the first time Google has made a foray into the world of instrument tuning, as Google Assistant is also capable of tuning an instrument. So, if you're a musician with an instrument that needs to be tuned, you can test out Google's solution by typing "Google tuner" into Search on your phone or computer.