Apple Watch Spotify App Not Showing AirPlay-Enabled Device

[hernaner28]

Plan

Premium

Country

Germany

Device

iPhone 15 Pro Max + Apple Watch Ultra 2

Operating System

iOS 17 + watchOS 10.0.2

My Question or Issue

I've encountered an issue with the Spotify app on my Apple Watch. When I try to use the app to play music, I've noticed that my JBL Soundbar, which is AirPlay-enabled, doesn't appear as a selectable device. However, when I use the Spotify app on my iPhone, the JBL Soundbar is available as an AirPlay output option.

Interestingly, if I first select the AirPlay JBL soundbar from my iPhone, my Apple Watch then recognizes that it's playing via AirPlay through the iPhone. This allows me to control the volume and songs directly from the watch. Given this functionality, it seems odd and inconvenient that the soundbar isn't directly selectable from the watch app in the first place.

This inconsistency between the two platforms is confusing and inconvenient. I would have expected the Apple Watch app to display all the same AirPlay devices as the iPhone app does, especially since both devices are part of the Apple ecosystem.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Any insights or solutions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Joan]

Hi @hernaner28,

Thanks for reaching out. Does using a different network change this behaviour? If you haven't tested this, please do so. You can use a hotspot from your phone if necessary.

Let us know how it goes.

[hernaner28]

Hey, thanks for the tip. Unfortunately I tried that and I still don’t see
the Airplay device on the Apple Watch. It seems to be an issue with Spotify
app on the watch because I can see the device in Apple Music.

[Susan_GP]

Hi @hernaner28,

Thanks for your reply and for trying out our recommendations. 

First up, we'd recommend following the troubleshooting steps we have in this article. This will help us rule out common issues and get to the bottom of the situation. 

If none of those help, it'd be helpful to know if this started happening recently or if you have never been able to select the speaker from your watch. If this is recent, did you notice if it started happening after an update or recent change?

We'll keep an eye out for your reply.

[hernaner28]

Hello and thank you for the responses,

First and foremost, I'd like to emphasize a specific concern that seems to be overlooked: The Spotify app on the Apple Watch currently lacks the direct capability to select AirPlay devices to play through the iPhone. This isn't just my personal observation or a specific issue I'm having; I've verified it's a consistent feedback shared by numerous users and has been corroborated by various YouTube reviews.

For context, this is my first experience using both an iPhone and an Apple Watch. It's important to recognize, understand and acknowledge when a feature is missing, especially one that significantly impacts user experience like in this case. It feels as though the responses I've received so far have overlooked or bypassed this core issue, which has been a bit disheartening.

While I've managed to find a workaround using the 'Now Playing' app on the Apple Watch which let's me select the AirPlay device to be played through my iPhone, this isn't a solution, it's a band-aid. It would be much more seamless and intuitive if the Spotify watch app directly supported AirPlay device selection, like the mobile App does or like Apple Music for the watch does.

I'm not asking for immediate resolution, but it's important for users to know that the issue is genuinely acknowledged and understood. I hope to see Spotify consider integrating this essential feature in the near future.

Thanks!

[Eni]

Hey @hernaner28, 

Thanks for getting back to us.

We understand where you're coming from and we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us. We'll make sure to pass it onto the right team, as we always strive to improve your experience.

You can also have a look in our Idea Exchange to see if someone else has already made a similar suggestion. If there isn't one, you can give these steps a go and submit your idea so that other users can also support it. The higher the number of votes an idea gets, the more likely it is for it to be implemented.

The Idea Exchange is a great way for us to see what our users are interested in and how many people like a certain idea. Check out this FAQ to learn more about it. 

If you need a hand with anything else, the Community is here for you.