Spotify and the Apple Watch are a match made in heaven, especially if you have the Premium subscription of Spotify, and you can download songs and podcasts and listen when you don't have your iPhone with you. But when Spotify and Apple Watch aren't working, it can feel less than heavenly.
These troubleshooting steps should help get you back to listening in no time.
Can You Listen to Spotify on Apple Watch?
The short answer is yes, you can listen to Spotify on your Apple Watch, whether you have a free or premium Spotify account. And as of May 2021, premium Spotify subscribers can also download their favorite playlists, albums, and even podcasts, so you can listen when your Watch isn't connected to your phone.
However, you should be aware that if you're using a free Spotify account, you'll need to have your iPhone always available when using Spotify from your Apple Watch. That's because, with a free Spotify account, all you can do with the Apple Watch is control the music playback, which streams through your phone. If you want to listen to Spotify without your iPhone, you'll need to go with Spotify Premium on your iPhone.
Are you worried about downloading songs or podcasts from Spotify to Apple Watch? Don't be. You have about 2 GB of data available on your Apple Watch for music and audio files, and that means you can put about 500 songs on your Apple Watch. That's probably plenty of room for most people.
Why Can't I Play Spotify on My Apple Watch Without My Phone?
If you're having trouble with Spotify on your Apple Watch, it could be caused by a network connection issue, it could be a glitch in the software, or it could be something else entirely. Either way, this is usually indicated by problems such as:
- There are no controls when trying to skip, fast forward, stop, or play songs from your Apple Watch.
- Music not streaming to connected headphones for Spotify Premium members.
- Spotify is not connecting at all.
Regardless of how it appears or why it happens, though, there are some troubleshooting steps you can walk through which should get your Spotify app working right again.
How to Fix It When Spotify Won't Work on Apple Watch
Go through each of these troubleshooting steps until you find the one that fixes your issue so you can get back to listening to your favorite tunes and podcasts.
Remember, if you're a free Spotify user, there are limits to what you can do with Spotify and your Apple Watch. If you want to stream Spotify without your iPhone nearby, you'll need to have a Spotify Premium subscription.
Make sure your Apple Watch is connected to Wi-Fi. You must connect your Watch to the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone. If it's not, then your Spotify app won't work on your Watch. Double-check you're using the same Wi-Fi for both devices, and then try Spotify again.
Make sure Apple Watch's Bluetooth is enabled, Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone, and that your headphones are connected. If your Bluetooth isn't connected, your Spotify app probably won't behave the way you expect it.
To turn on Bluetooth on your Apple Watch, swipe up from the bottom and make sure the network icon [should be the top, left icon] is highlighted in blue.
You can then double-check on your iPhone to ensure your Watch is connected by going to Settings > Bluetooth.
Close the Spotify app on your Apple Watch and then restart it. Alternatively, you can force quit the app if it's frozen by holding down the side button on your Apple Watch until the shut-down screen appears. Once it does, hold the Digital Crown button down until the app closes.
Once the app closes completely, restart the app to see if it's working correctly. This process can clear out any unexplained glitches and let you start from a 'clean' beginning.
Restart your Apple Watch. If closing or force closing the app didn't work, you might want to try restarting your Apple Watch entirely. Doing this will clear out all open apps and any bugs or glitches that might be interfering with the Spotify app so that once the Apple watch is loaded up again, you can re-open Spotify and try again.
Make sure your Watch and the Spotify App are updated. It would be best if you started by updating your Apple Watch. Once it's completely updated, you'll need to go to your iPhone to make sure your iPhone apps are up to date, including the Spotify app.
Once everything is updated, try resyncing your Apple Watch and then try the Spotify app again.
Delete the Spotify app from your Apple Watch. Once it's completely deleted, then try reinstalling the app to your Watch. Deleting the app and reinstalling it is an excellent way to ensure you're working for a new, uncorrupted installation. Doing this could solve any issues you're having with the Spotify app.
Reset the network settings on your iPhone. This process should automatically reset the network settings on your Apple Watch to ensure you're using the same network settings. The Reset Network Settings option will clear out all your network connections, including Bluetooth settings, so you may need to reconnect your Apple Watch and any headphones you're using once the reset is complete.
If nothing works, consider making a Genius Bar appointment. The Genius Bar workers are accustomed to dealing with all manner of problems, including issues like Spotify not behaving correctly on your Apple Watch. A meeting with a Genius Bar expert could have you up and running again in no time.
- Why is Spotify not working on my computer?
If you're encountering problems with the Spotify desktop app and get the You're Offline error; you likely have an internet connection issue. If your internet is fine, but you're still having problems, there may be a Spotify bug. Try restarting your computer and reopening Spotify. You can also try deleting and reinstalling the Spotify desktop app.
- Why is the Spotify web player not working?
If the Spotify web player isn't working, there could be a browser problem or an issue with the web player. To troubleshoot the problem if you're on a Windows PC, make sure you've downloaded the Media Feature Pack. Also, try opening Spotify in incognito mode or private browsing mode, clear the browser cache, enable protected content in your browser, and log out of Spotify on other devices.
- Why is Spotify not working on my Mac?
If you're having problems with the Spotify web player on a Mac, update your Safari browser or try opening the web player in Chrome. You can also try opening Spotify in a private browsing window, clearing the system cache, and shutting Spotify down on other devices. Additionally, make sure you've enabled protected content in your browser.
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