Spotify releases Apple Watch app with playlist and podcast controls

Apple Watch users, rejoice: Spotify is now available for your wrist.

The music-streaming service has finally added an Apple Watch app allowing users to not only get music playback controls, but also access playlists, favorite songs, and “DJ from your watch” with Spotify Connect speakers.

Spotify’s Apple Watch app has been long in the making. Although you could previously access playback controls like play/pause, previous/next track, and volume on your Apple Watch, the smartwatch’s default controls were pretty barebones.

The new Apple Watch app lets you do all of the above, but with just a touch more granular controls. For example, you rewind 15 seconds on a podcast, view playlists and shuffle tracks, favorite songs, and even connect to Spotify Connect devices such as a WiFi speaker or laptop.

It’s a step in the right direction to giving Apple Watch apps a much-needed boost, but it’s still missing one major feature we all want: cellular music streaming. As it stands, Apple Music is the only music streaming service that can stream over a cellular connection. 

Nothing against Apple Music — it’s a robust music streaming service that’s gotten much better over the years —  but Spotify is still the preferred music streaming service for many who prefer not to live in Apple’s walled ecosystem.

The new app will suffice for now, I guess. To get the Apple Watch app, make sure your smartwatch has been updated to the latest version of watchOS, and then go update the Spotify app from the App Store on your paired iOS device. Spotify says it’ll be pushed out to Spotify users “over the coming week” so if you don’t see it show up on your Apple Watch, hang tight. It’s coming!