No iPhone? No Problem: Play Spotify Directly on Your Apple Watch

Are you team Apple Music or team Spotify? Given my loyalty to Apple products, anyone would deem me Apple Music team. But somehow, when it comes to music, Spotify is where my loyalty lies.

And if you’re anything like me and hate carrying your iPhone around at the gym but still want the music, you might be wondering,

How do I play Spotify directly on my Apple Watch? While there are a few prerequisites, let me show you how I ditch my phone but still get the full Spotify experience right from my wrist!

Prerequisites for playing Spotify directly on Apple Watch#

• Spotify Premium is required to stream Spotify directly on the Apple Watch without your iPhone. On the free Spotify accounts, the Apple Watch will only act as a playback controller.
• An Apple Watch Series 3 or later is required for this feature.
• WatchOS 7.0 or later is required for streaming Spotify on the Apple Watch.
• AirPods or Bluetooth headphones paired with the Apple Watch are required.
• A Wi-Fi or cellular connection is also required.

How to Get Spotify on Apple Watch Without iPhone#

1. Download and install the Spotify app from the App Store on your iPhone and log in.
2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and scroll down to Available Apps > Install in front of Spotify.
3. Tap on Spotify under Installed on Apple Watch and make sure to toggle on Show App on Apple Watch.
4. Press the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch to access the app library and open the Spotify app.
5. Swiping to the right in the app shows the home screen, and swiping left shows your library.

6. By default, the songs will be played on your iPhone and controlled via the Apple Watch. To play songs directly from the Apple Watch, tap on the little phone icon on the bottom right corner of the now playing screen and select Apple Watch. 
7. Make sure your watch is connected to the Bluetooth headphones.

Download tracks or podcasts to your Apple Watch #

Spotify lets me download around 10 hours’ worth of podcasts and songs to my Apple Watch. This number can vary depending on the model of the Apple Watch you have. There is also a limit of 100 downloads per playlist. To download tracks and podcasts on the Apple Watch, follow these steps. 

From the Apple Watch #

1. Go to the Spotify app on your Apple Watch.
2. Swipe left to access your library.
3. Select the playlist or podcast you want to download and tap the download icon.

From your iPhone#

1. Open Spotify on your iPhone.
2. Select a playlist or a podcast you want to download and tap on the three dots. If you want to download different songs, select those and make a new playlist, since individual songs are not available to download. 
3. Select Download to other devices > Apple Watch.

Swipe left on the Spotify app’s now playing screen to open your library and tap on Downloads. This is where all your downloaded music and podcasts are displayed.

Delete music or podcasts from your Apple Watch #

To delete any downloaded playlists or podcasts from your Apple Watch,

1. Swipe left on the Spotify app’s now playing screen to open your library and tap on Downloads.
2. Select the playlist or podcasts you want to delete > Remove download.

Alternatively, using your iPhone,

1. Head to the Spotify app > select the playlist or podcast you want to delete from your Apple Watch.
2. Tap on the three dots and select Manage Downloads.
3. Tap on the Apple Watch, which has this downloaded (there will be a green arrow next to it).
4. Tap Remove.

Wrap Up#

Although Spotify really limits its functionalities for its free account users, it is still possible to enjoy your playlist on your Apple Watch with your phone nearby. However, if you want to keep your phone away from you, especially during workouts, but still need your music, you will need a Spotify Premium account. 

But if you are a true Spotify fan like me, the benefits justify the cost! Downloading podcasts for a long walk and playlists for my pilates class, without lugging my phone around everywhere… bliss.

Are you team Apple Music or team Spotify? Let me know which one you like better for your Apple Watch in the comments.

FAQs#