Apple is about to fix the worst part of transferring music to the Apple Watch

The upcoming release of watchOS 9.1 is great news for Apple Music subscribers
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While streaming music with the Apple Watch is one of the true joys of the smartwatch, the process of actually transferring your tunes over has proven relatively tedious ever since its introduction. Until now.

With the upcoming release of watchOS 9.1, Apple is set to roll out a big change to how users add music - namely, you'll no longer need to place the Apple Watch on a charger when downloading Apple Music tracks over Wi-FI or cellular.

Despite the addition of music streaming solving plenty of issues for users, actually downloading music onto the device has remained an issue ever since the Series 3 was introduced five years ago.

So, if you didn't have a Wi-Fi and Cellular model of the Apple Watch - or if you didn't necessarily want to stream if you did have the right version - you'd be forced to do so with the help of the charging puck.

Providing your Apple Watch is compatible with watchOS 9 - meaning it's a Series 4 or newer - you'll be able to take advantage of this significant update when it lands on 24 October.

When it does, users will also be treated to other improvements, naturally.

According to the release notes of watchOS 9.1, Apple will be introducing bug fixes for battery life for running, outdoor walking and hiking workouts on the Apple Watch SE 2, Series 8 and Ultra, with an option to reduce the amount of heart rate and GPS readings being taken.

Support for the upcoming smart home connectivity standard Matter will be included.

Of course, if you use Spotify on the Apple Watch, putting the device charger in order to transfer music over isn't something you'll have ever had to contend with.

For Apple Music subscribers, though, a really neat bit of streamlining is about to arrive - and one that feels pretty overdue.


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Conor Allison

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Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.

Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides. 

He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror. 


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