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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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Spotify Premium: Download playlists, albums, and podcasts to your watch. Requires Spotify Premium subscription. Music plays through paired Bluetooth headphones.

  • YouTube Music Premium: Download tracks and playlists for offline listening. Downloads work best while the watch charges and connects to WiFi. Requires YouTube Music Premium.

  • Storage Considerations: Most WearOS watches 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.

  • Pairing Process: Open Settings Connectivity Bluetooth on 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.

  • Audio Quality: Most WearOS watches support standard Bluetooth audio codecs. Premium codecs like aptX may not be available on all watch models.


See Also: WearOS Music and Media Guide|WearOS App Management Guide|WearOS Battery Drain Solutions