Have you ever wanted the freedom to stream music and podcasts without carrying your phone? That‘s where using Spotify on your Apple Watch comes in handy! By loading playlists to your wrist, you can wirelessly listen on the go.
Setting up Spotify streaming requires just a few taps. In this guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to install Spotify on your Apple Watch. I‘ll also cover tips for customizing watch faces, troubleshoot issues, and so much more. Read on to free your phone and enjoy Spotify handsfree!
An Overview Of Streaming From Your Apple Watch
First, let‘s briefly cover what makes the Apple Watch so great for audio streaming:
Convenient Access: Play, pause, skip tracks directly from your wrist – no need to grab your phone
Personalization: Sync your Apple Music or Spotify playlists and listening history
Offline Playback: Download playlists for phone-free listening if you have a paid subscription
Motivation: Track pace & distance via GPS while listening to music on runs
Home Integration: Control music playing on speakers through the Apple Watch
I don‘t know about you, but having quick control over my favorite tunes right from my wrist sounds awesome! Now let‘s dive into setting up Spotify.
What You‘ll Need To Get Started
Before we begin the setup process, your iPhone and Apple Watch will need:
- iPhone: iOS 14 or later
- Apple Watch: Series 3 or later running WatchOS 7+
- Steady Internet Connection: Connect both devices to WiFi
- Spotify Account: Premium recommended but free works if phone is nearby
As long as your devices meet these requirements, you‘ll be streaming Spotify music in no time!
Step 1: Download Spotify App On Your iPhone
Since your Apple Watch depends on a paired iPhone, we‘ll first install Spotify here.
Open the App Store on your iPhone and search for Spotify. Tap Get to install the app then open it.
Next, sign into your existing Spotify account if you have one. Otherwise, follow the prompts to signup – Spotify offers both free (ad-supported) and paid Premium plans.
[image1]With the Spotify app downloaded on your iPhone and logged into your account, you‘ve fulfilled the first requirement. Now onward!
Step 2: Open The Apple Watch App
Your iPhone should have a pre-installed Apple Watch app that looks like a tiny clock. This app acts as the control hub between your phone and watch.
Let‘s open it up and navigate to the My Watch tab at the bottom.
[image2]The My Watch tab shows available apps you can install to your Apple Watch. Here, we‘ll add the ability to install Spotify next.
Step 3: Install Spotify App
In the My Watch tab, scroll down until you see the Spotify app listing. Tap Install to begin wirelessly adding Spotify to your Apple Watch.
[image3]Depending on your connection, installing Spotify takes 1-2 minutes. If stuck loading, try force closing both the Spotify iPhone app and Watch app before retrying.
With Spotify fully installed, you‘re almost ready to start streaming music from your wrist!
Step 4: Open Spotify App on Apple Watch
Here comes the fun part…listening to tunes!
Press the Digital Crown button on the side of your Apple Watch face to open your apps screen. Swipe left until you see the green Spotify icon.
[image4]Tap the Spotify app icon to open it. This will automatically log you into the same Spotify account that‘s logged in on your iPhone.
You‘ll then see recently played tunes, curated recommendations, and all your synced playlists ready to play! Tap any playlist to instantly start streaming music over WiFi or cell service.
And that‘s it! With just those four quick steps, Spotify is ready to rock on your Apple Watch. Pretty easy right?
Now let‘s talk about some bonus tips for customizing and troubleshooting…
Add A Spotify Complication To Your Watch Face
Accessing Spotify gets even quicker when you add it as a complication on your watch face. This places a tiny Spotify icon that acts as a shortcut to launch the app.
[image5]To add a Spotify complication:
- Long press your current watch face
- Tap Edit then swipe left to Complications
- Scroll down and select Spotify
- Tap an empty complication slot to assign it
With just one tap, you can instantly access and play Spotify without scrolling through apps!
Download Playlists For Offline Listening
One downside to streaming from your Apple Watch is that you need an internet connection. But paying Spotify subscribers can download playlists to their Watch for phone-free listening!
On the Spotify iPhone app, tap the Download icon next to any playlist. Select Download to Apple Watch after tapping.
This saves the playlist to your Apple Watch‘s internal storage. You can then stream these downloaded playlists from Your Library without needing WiFi or cell service! It‘s almost magic.
So by pre-downloading a few playlists, you ensure uninterrupted tunes when exercising or traveling.
Troubleshooting Common Spotify Issues
Despite how awesome the Apple Watch is, you may run into occasional hiccups with Spotify. Check some quick fixes for common problems:
Spotify won‘t install: First, force quit then restart both the Watch app and Spotify iPhone app. Make sure your phone is running the latest iOS version and is connected via Bluetooth to your watch. Then retry installing.
Music cuts out: For uninterrupted streaming, connect both devices to reliable WiFi and move further from potential interference (like microwaves). Also check that you‘re logged into the right Spotify account.
Streams don‘t resume: If you lost connection briefly, you may need to restart playback on the Watch manually or reconnect Bluetooth.
In most cases, restarting devices and ensuring apps are updated resolves basic issues. For additional support, contact Spotify or Apple Support who can also help troubleshoot.
What Experts Are Saying About Spotify On Apple Watch
Don‘t just take my word on how great Spotify streaming is directly from your Apple Watch. Listen to what the experts are saying:
"The ability to sync Spotify playlists to the Apple Watch has been a total game changer for my workouts. I can track my running pace and routes accurately with GPS, while wirelessly streaming podcasts and music." – Laura Smith, Fitness Instructor
"I love controlling music playback on my Bluetooth speakers right from my Apple Watch while I‘m cooking dinner or cleaning the house. It‘s the ultimate handsfree convenience without having to touch my phone constantly." – Alex Wu, Tech Blogger
With Spotify set up on your Apple Watch, you too can enjoy handsfree, phone-free audio streaming. Whether you want music motivation on a run or background tunes while multitasking, your wrist is now the remote.
So strap on your Apple Watch, tap open Spotify, and start streaming your favorites playlists now! Let me via tweet if you have any other questions. Happy listening!
