Spotify Comes to Apple Watch, But It's Missing a Key Feature

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Spotify has released the first Apple Watch-ready version of its music app, but offline playback will have to wait.

Spotify's app has finally landed on the Apple Watch, though this wrist-sized edition of the streaming music service's app probably isn't as fully featured right now as users mights have liked.

The new version of Spotify's app lets you control music playback from your Apple Watch. That means you can pause, skip, and favorite songs without having to dig out your iPhone to do all that.

What you can't do, however, is stream songs from your LTE-connected Apple Watch. You also can't sync songs for offline playback, which means you've got to keep your iPhone nearby if you want to use Spotify. You won't be able to go out for a run or take care of an errand with just your watch if you want to listen to music via Spotify.

MORE: Apple Watch Series 3 vs. Series 4: Which Watch Should You Buy?

Spotify's Wear OS app also doesn't support offline playback. Only the version of the app for Samsung's Gear smartwatches does that.

In announcing the Apple Watch version, Spotify promised that offline playback would come to the Apple Watch version of the app, as it continued to add new features. Left unsaid was when Apple Watch users might enjoy that feature.

In addition to controlling music playback from the Spotify app on your phone, Spotify for Apple Watch also lets you control playback on Spotify Connect-compatible speakers and devices.

Spotify's new Apple Watch features are built into version 8.4.79 of the Spotify app currently available from Apple's iOS App Store.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.