Listen to spotify on apple watch without phone

Spotify’s Apple Watch app is getting the option to stream music or podcasts without connecting to an iPhone. You'll be able to listen to your playlists over WiFi or a cellular connection. The feature appears to be in beta amid a broader rollout, so it might not be available for you just yet.

After several users reported (via 9to5 Mac) they could stream music through the Watch app directly, Engadget confirmed the feature works. As such, you won’t need to have an iPhone close by to listen to your favorite tracks.

“We’re focused on developing experiences that enable users to listen to Spotify wherever and whenever they want — regardless of the device or platform,” Spotify told Engadget in a statement. “After an initial testing period, we are now rolling out streaming capabilities for Spotify on the Apple Watch."

Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget

You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu.

Offline listening somehow still isn’t an option on the Watch app, two years after Spotify released it. However, the next time you're out for a walk or a run, you might be able to leave your phone at home and stream your Spotify playlists with an LTE-enabled Apple Watch.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.

If you're a Spotify subscriber and own an Apple Watch, you're able to download playlists, podcasts, albums, and songs straight to your smartwatch - and listen offline.

You can also have custom playlists, Spotify Connect, and playback control via LTE or Wi-Fi straight from the wrist. It makes Spotify a pretty complete experience on Apple Watch nowadays.

In this guide, we'll take you through the entire app. You'll learn how to download playlists, control your music, browse through menus and even ask Siri to play something.

• Essential Apple Watch tips to master
• Best Apple Watch apps
• How to add music to the Apple Watch

Ensure your Apple Watch has the Spotify app

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.

2. In the My Watch tab and under the heading Installed on Apple Watch, check if Spotify is already downloaded. If it isn't installed already on your Apple Watch, scroll down to the Available Apps section and hit Install on Spotify.

3. On your Apple Watch, open the app grid and find Spotify. The app will also open automatically when you start playing music from your iPhone.

Download music and podcasts for offline listening

You can easily download content from Spotify to store on your Apple Watch, letting you listen to it on the move without needing to be connected to your phone - or having to use LTE, either.

What you will need is an Apple Watch Series 3 or later that's running on watchOS 7 or later, an LTE or Wi-Fi connection, and an iPhone running iOS 12 or later - along with a Spotify Premium subscription, of course.

Follow these steps to download Spotify songs, playlists, or podcasts to your Apple Watch:

1. Make sure you're running the latest version of the Spotify app on your phone or tablet; this will ensure your Apple Watch is also up to date.

2. In the Spotify app, find a playlist or album you want to download, hit the three-dot menu button, and choose Download to Apple Watch.

3. In the Spotify Apple Watch app, swipe right to find the Downloads folder.

4. If successful, downloaded playlists will be indicated by a green arrow.

Browse playlists and tracks

The Apple Watch's Spotify app offers pretty extensive control over playback and browsing.

A swipe to the left shows your Library and recent playlists that you've interacted with using your Spotify account. From here, you can scroll with your finger or the digital crown and change the playlist.

You can also hit Library and swap between playlists, podcasts, artists, and albums and browse options within, playing any track you feel like.

You won't get all the options in your library, but you'll get an extensive list of the most recently played 20 or so.

If you swipe to the right, you'll get a list of tracks within the currently selected playlist, allowing you to select the exact song you want to listen to.

Add songs to your Spotify library

You can add music to your library straight from the Apple Watch screen.

The prominently placed heart can be tapped, turning green, and the track will be added to your account's Liked Songs.

As on other devices, re-tapping the heart will also remove it from your library and Liked Songs.

6. Stream over LTE

Spotify enables users to stream music without their iPhone present, but they'll need an LTE connection if the playlist, song, album, or podcast hasn't been downloaded to the Apple Watch previously.

If you have a cellular plan set up for your Apple Watch, the smartwatch's Spotify app will stay connected even when away from your iPhone and allow you full control over the experience. You don't need to do anything.

Control Spotify on Apple Watch using Siri

Spotify also gives you hands-free control via Apple's smart assistant, Siri, giving you easier access.

To get Siri to play something from your Apple Watch, you can ask it to help you out with the following:

• Play your favorite songs, playlists, podcasts, artists, and albums
• Adjust volume, play/pause, and skip tracks
• Play Discover Weekly
• Add songs to your library by 'liking' the current track

Control playback on other devices

Whether you're listening on your phone, a wireless speaker or even using the Spotify app on game consoles, you can automatically control playback from your linked account through the smartwatch.

Even if you're playing something from your phone, for example, the Apple Watch Spotify app will automatically open when you raise-to-wake - providing you do the following things:

Can Apple Watch play Spotify without phone?

Can you listen to music on your Apple Watch without having your phone?

Can you listen to Spotify with just your Apple Watch?

How do I play music through my Apple Watch speaker without my iPhone?