Master the Spotify Wear OS app with these tips and tricks.
Spotify on a Wear OS smartwatch now offers a much more complete experience than before, allowing users to finally enjoy offline listening, LTE streaming, and more.
A once lackluster app on earlier versions of Wear has been revitalized in recent years, enabling users of devices such as the Google Pixel Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and others to enjoy benefits that were previously reserved for the Apple Watch.
However, with the Spotify app now more comprehensive, there’s much more to grasp if you’re to master it. Luckily, this guide is here to assist.
Below, we’ve explained everything, including downloading the app and instructions for offline playback.
Download Spotify on Wear OS
Since the arrival of Wear OS 3 in 2021, downloading apps has been a much cleaner experience on the wrist.
Whether you want to download the Spotify Wear OS app from the Google Play Store on the watch or on your Android phone, the choice is yours. Simply follow these steps.
Download Spotify from your Wear OS smartwatch
1. Make sure your smartwatch is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.
2. On your Wear smartwatch, access the Google Play Store.
3. Search using voice or the keyboard for ‘Spotify’.
4. Tap on the listing for Spotify and hit ‘Install’ on the icon.
5. The app should then download onto your smartwatch.
Tip: Return to this listing if you want to uninstall the app.
Download Spotify for Wear OS from your smartphone
1. On your phone, access the Google Play Store.
2. Find the ‘Essential watch apps’ section or search for ‘watch apps’.
4. Find the listing for Spotify, tap it and hit ‘Install’.
5. The app should then download onto your smartwatch.
Set up Spotify on Wear OS
After downloading the Spotify app to your Wear smartwatch, you must sign in and link your account to the device.
1. Open the Spotify app on your Wear OS smartwatch.
2. A prompt will show on the watch screen for the Spotify pairing page, from which you can enter the code and login. However, you can also select the prompt to pair the account from your phone, at which point your phone or tablet will open and ask for login details.
3. Once you’ve selected your preferred method of logging in, the app should pair with your account and be ready to open on the watch.
Spotify on Wear OS: What you can do
1. Cellular/LTE streaming
If you have a compatible smartwatch, you can access the Spotify app on the go without clogging up your device’s internal storage space.
This is obviously very handy for choosing from your wider library on the fly, and it is a new feature introduced in the Wear OS version of the app.
2. Download for offline playback
As shown above, the Spotify Wear OS app will give you the option to ‘Download to Watch’, as long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.
The amount you can store is determined by your smartwatch’s internal storage, but it’s an excellent feature that’s perfect for when you need a dependable source of music or podcasts.
After you select the watch as your source, you will be taken to a version of your library that displays only downloaded content—unless you have cellular support enabled, of course.
To download music to your watch, you must be a Spotify Premium subscriber, while Spotify Free users can download podcasts freely.
3. Control music
The wrist control for Spotify allows you to pause, skip forward, or go back on the music playing from the watch.
A green ring will appear around the pause/play icon to indicate how far along you are in the track, and it will pop up regardless of whether you’re listening through the watch or another device.
4. Play to Spotify Connect devices
Spotify Connect is also available through the app, allowing you to stream music on a nearby compatible device. This could be a smart speaker, your laptop, or even your phone—there are plenty of options to choose from.
To do so, just hit the icon in the bottom right when a track is playing and select your preferred player.
5. Add songs to your Spotify library
You can add music to your library directly from the Wear OS Spotify app. Tap the checkmark in the bottom-left corner, and the song will be added to your music library.
To retrieve it, just go to the ‘Liked songs’ playlist in your Spotify library or select the ‘Songs’ tab.
