Spotify on a Wear OS smartwatch is now a much more complete experience than it used to be, with users finally able to enjoy offline listening, LTE streaming and more.
What was a fairly tepid app on older versions of Wear has been reborn for Wear OS 3, with the likes of the Google Pixel Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and more able to enjoy the benefits.
With the Spotify on-wrist app much fuller, though, there's also plenty more to understand about using it. And that's where this guide can help.
Below, we've explained everything from downloading the app to using it to
Read this: Complete guide to Wear OS by Google
Download Spotify on Wear OS
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With the arrival of Wear OS 3, downloading apps is a much cleaner experience on the wrist. Whether you want to download the Spotify Wear OS app from your Google Play Store on your wrist or on your phone, the choice is yours. Simply follow these steps.
Download Spotify from your Wear OS 3 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
Once you have the Spotify app downloaded to your Wear smartwatch, you'll need to sign in and connect 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
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1. Cellular/LTE streaming
If you have a compatible smartwatch, you're able to access the Spotify app on the go and not worry about clogging up your device's internal storage space.
This is obviously very handy for when you want to choose from your wider library on the fly, and is a new introduction through the Wear OS version of the app.
2. Download for offline playback
As shown above, the Spotify Wear OS app will provide you with the option to 'Download to Watch', provided you're connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.
How much you're able to store is dictated to by your smartwatch's internal storage, but it's a superb feature that's great for when you need a reliable source of music or podcasts.
Once you select the watch as your source, you'll then be taken to a watch-specific version of your library that shows only downloaded content - unless you have cellular support enabled, of course.
You will need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber to take advantage of downloading music to your watch, but Spotify Free users can download podcasts at will.
3. Control music
The Spotify control on the wrist includes being able to pause, skip forward and skip back on the music playing from the watch.
A green ring will sit around the pause/play icon to show you how far a track you are, and will pop up no matter whether you're listening through the watch or on another device.
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4. Play to Spotify Connect devices
Spotify Connect is also supported through the app, which means you can send music to play on a nearby compatible device. This could be a smart speaker, your laptop, or perhaps even your phone – there are plenty 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 straight from the Wear OS Spotify app. Tap the heart 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.
More Wear OS guides
How we test
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.