How to Control Music on Your WearOS Watch
Your WearOS watch controls music playing on your phone or stores its own library for phone-free listening. Media controls appear automatically when audio plays, and you can download playlists for offline workouts.
Controlling Phone Playback
Control music playing on your phone directly from your wrist.
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Automatic Media Controls: When music plays on your phone, a media notification appears on your watch automatically. This works with
Spotify,YouTube Music,Apple Music, podcast apps, and most audio players. -
Basic Controls: Play, pause, skip forward, and skip back using the on-screen buttons. Adjust volume with the volume slider or crown rotation.
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Now Playing Tile: Add a media control tile for quick access. Swipe right from your watch face to access playback controls without opening notifications.
Offline Music on Watch
Store music directly on your watch for phone-free listening.
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Spotify Premium: Download playlists, albums, and podcasts to your watch. Requires
Spotify Premiumsubscription. Music plays through pairedBluetoothheadphones. -
YouTube Music Premium: Download tracks and playlists for offline listening. Downloads work best while the watch charges and connects to
WiFi. RequiresYouTube Music Premium. -
Storage Considerations: Most
WearOSwatches have 16-32GB storage shared with apps and system files. A typical playlist of downloaded songs uses 100-500MB depending on quality settings.
Bluetooth Headphone Setup
Connect wireless earbuds to your watch for standalone listening.
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Pairing Process: Open
SettingsConnectivityBluetoothon your watch. Put your headphones in pairing mode, then select them from the available devices list. -
Watch-Only Pairing: Headphones paired directly with your watch won't connect to your phone simultaneously. Some earbuds support multi-device pairing to switch between both.
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Audio Quality: Most
WearOSwatches support standardBluetoothaudio codecs. Premium codecs like aptX may not be available on all watch models.
Workout Setup
Download your running playlist before heading out. Pair headphones with your watch, put your phone in airplane mode (or leave it home), and enjoy phone-free music during workouts.
See Also: WearOS Music and Media Guide|WearOS App Management Guide|WearOS Battery Drain Solutions