Tech Reference

How to use Spotify on your Apple Watch to play music or control playback

Written by Jennifer Still and William Antonelli
Apple Watch 7
As long as you have Spotify installed on your iPhone, you can listen through your Apple Watch. Hollis Johnson
Read in app

Spotify has apps on nearly every internet-connected device. This includes the Apple Watch, which lets you listen to music right on your wrist.

Here's how to get Spotify on your Apple Watch, and use it to listen to music.

Install Spotify on Apple Watch 

Before anything, make sure that Spotify is downloaded on your iPhone, and that you're logged in.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.

2. Under the "Installed on Apple Watch" heading in the My Watch section, make sure that Spotify is there.

spotify apple watch 1
Find and select the Spotify tab in your Watch's app list.  William Antonelli/Insider

3. If it's not, you can install it by scrolling down to "Available Apps" and tapping on the "Install" button that appears to the right of Spotify.

Play Spotify music on Apple Watch 

Once Spotify is installed on your watch, you can launch it at any time by tapping the app's icon on your Apple Watch's home screen. In addition, playing music from the Spotify app on your iPhone will usually auto-launch it on your Watch.

By default, you'll see the title and artist of whatever song you're listening to and the player controls, but you can swipe left or right to browse your playlists or individual songs, respectively.

IMG_8469
You can access basic playback controls from your Watch.  Jennifer Still/Insider

Anything you play will start playing on your iPhone. You can press the devices icon underneath the player controls to pick another device to stream on — including your Apple Watch if you have headphones connected. You can't play music through your Apple Watch's speakers.

There's also no way to play Spotify on your Apple Watch offline. You can play it while you're away from your iPhone, but you'll still need to be connected to Wi-Fi or LTE internet.

Read next

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

jennifer still.JPG
Jennifer Still
Jennifer is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, New York, who spends her time traveling, drinking iced coffee, and watching way too much TV. She has bylines in Vanity Fair, Glamour, Decider, Mic, and many more. You can find her on Twitter at @jenniferlstill.
WillAntonelli
William Antonelli
ExperienceWilliam joined Business Insider in 2019 to help found Tech Reference, a vertical dedicated to answering the internet’s most common questions about the gadgets they buy. In that role, he helped grow the vertical into a powerhouse that attracted over 20 million pageviews a month. He also wrote and edited one of Business Insider’s most successful stories: How to take a screenshot on Windows.William later became one of Business Insider's lead consumer tech reporters, writing roundups and reviews about gadgets ranging from smartphones to gaming PCs. He also established key industry contacts at brands like Apple, Google, Nintendo, and more. He’s also cited on the Wikipedia page for Among Us, an honor above all others.William’s work for Business Insider has included reviewing the best gaming laptops, publishing previews of new Nintendo games and consoles, and comparing Apple’s latest releases so readers know what’s worth their money. Across all assignments, he’s been praised for his depth of knowledge and research skills.In addition to his work at Business Insider, William’s writing has appeared in outlets like The Guardian, Polygon, Thomson Reuters’ Context, and more. He's also a regular guest on TV stations like CBS and NBC, where he provides expert analysis on AI, consumer tech, and Silicon Valley moguls.Why you can trust WilliamWilliam believes the goal of journalism should be to tell the truth, not sell products. In his reviews, William never hesitates to call out a product’s flaws, but he also has no issue complimenting features that genuinely add value.When reviewing a product, William doesn’t test it in a vacuum. He tries to incorporate each product into his daily routine to get a better sense of how it’ll work for the everyday user. And when writing, he focuses on reader comprehension. He’s talented at explaining complicated concepts in ways that all readers can understand, without losing depth or nuance — or his distinctively engaging voice.Expertise
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Consumer Technology (Laptops, PCs, video games and gaming consoles, smartphones, more)
  • Social Media (TikTok, X, Meta, more)
  • Internet Culture (Memes, influencers, viral trends)
  • Disinformation
EducationWilliam graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 2018. There, he studied English, communications, and adolescent education, alongside reporting news for the university’s radio and TV stations.Outside workWhen he’s not reporting, you can usually find William biking through Central Park, playing video games, or at home listening to music and writing fanfiction. He’s also a co-manager of the New York Mandolin Ensemble, one of NYC’s premier string orchestras.You can contact him at w.antonelli322@gmail.com, visit his official website at williamantonelli.com, or follow him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher and BlueSky @wantonelli.bsky.social.