- Spotify is adding standalone streaming to its Apple Watch app.
- Previously, Spotify Premium subscribers had to have their iPhone with them in order to stream music from the Spotify app on their Apple Watch.
- Spotify has yet to formally announce the update, but it is now rolling out globally and should begin to appear on every Apple Watch in the days ahead.
Spotify brought its app to the Apple Watch all the way back in November 2018, but in the two years since, the only way to actually use the app has been to carry around your iPhone with you as well. It basically served as a remote for Spotify’s iPhone app, but according to TechCrunch, Spotify began rolling out support for standalone streaming on the Apple Watch app this week. Testing began last fall, and soon everyone will have access.
“With Spotify for Apple Watch you can control the Spotify experience from your wrist. You can now stream Spotify directly from your Apple Watch and even use Siri to control the playback!” Spotify states on a new support page that was recently added to its website to reflect the new feature. “In addition to streaming Spotify directly from your wrist, you can also control playback of Spotify, with the Spotify Connect feature built-in you can select which device you want to play Spotify on and select anything to play from your recently played tracks.”
Spotify also notes on this support page that in order to stream music directly from your wrist, you’ll need to have a Spotify Premium subscription, an Apple Watch Series 3 or later with watchOS 6.0+ (though watchOS 7.1+ is recommended), a cellular or WiFi connection, and the latest version of the Spotify app on your iPhone.
When I told one of my coworkers the news about standalone streaming coming to Apple Watch, he was ecstatic. He is just one of many Apple Watch users who wear the device when they exercise, but were previously forced to drag their iPhone along as well if they wanted to listen to music on Spotify. He and all other Spotify subscribers will soon be able to leave the iPhone behind and stream music over a cellular or WiFi connection.
“We’re focused on developing experiences that enable users to listen to Spotify wherever and whenever they want – regardless of the device or platform,” a Spotify spokesperson told TechCrunch when asked about the update, which has yet to be formally announced by the company as of Wednesday evening. “After an initial testing period, we are now rolling out streaming capabilities for Spotify on the Apple Watch.”
The spokesperson also added that this is a global rollout, so in the coming days, everyone with an Apple Watch and a Spotify Premium account should finally be able to start streaming music iPhone-free.
