Apple Watch is just a mini smartphone on your wrist and just like smartphones, it’s normal to have issues with while working on it. Maybe the Music app is not opening, not playing any music, or it’s playing, but there’s no sound; these fixes will help you solve all these issues. We will provide you with fixes for Apple Music not working on your Apple Watch. So, let’s go through these fixes and solve all these issues.
Table of Contents
Before You Begin
Did you try Apple Music after restarting your Apple Watch? If not, hold the Side button and Crown until the screen goes black to restart your Apple Watch. This could potentially resolve the problem.
If you’re still can’t play music on Apple Music on your Watch and you’re in a rush, there are a few workarounds you can try to listen to some music temporarily and address the issue later.
Some Apple Support users have shared their experience that they can’t play their desired song on Apple Music on their Watch. However, they discovered that they could still enjoy music by using the Radio feature in Apple Music. You can give it a try. Open the Apple Music app on your Watch, go to Radio, and choose any station to play.
Alternatively, you can also try playing your songs in shuffle mode, just like a few users on an online forum did. Here’s how you can do it.
You can also try these basic fixes, which will probably solve your issue.
- Make sure your Apple Watch is running on the latest watchOS version. To update your Watch, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Apple Music requires an internet connection to work (Other than downloaded music). So ensure the Apple Watch is connected to Wi-Fi or your iPhone has an active internet connection for Apple Music to work.
- Apple Music requires a subscription to use. So make sure you have one.
- Have you connected any Bluetooth audio device with your Apple Watch? You can not play music from the speaker of Apple Watch so make sure there’s a Bluetooth audio device connected so you can enjoy the songs from Apple Music.
After you have tried basic fixes for the issue and still facing the problem, let’s move on to some advanced ones and solve the problem.
Tip: Apple Watch doesn’t support direct audio playback. However, you can play songs and podcasts directly through your Apple Watch.Â
1. Enable Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh should enable Apple Music to update its content in the background while the app is not in use. If this is the reason why Apple Music stopped working for you. Here’s how to enable background app refresh on Apple Watch.
1. Open the Settings app and select General. Then, tap on Background App Refresh and make sure the toggle next to Background App Refresh is enabled.
2. Also, scroll down through the list of apps and ensure the toggle next to Music is enabled.
2. Add Music for Apple Watch
If the songs are not playing on the Music app on your Apple Watch, add new playlists or albums to it. It has helped other users get Apple Music to work on the Apple Watch again.
1. To add music to the watch, open the Watch app on the iPhone and select Music. After that tap on Add Music option.
2. Select the album or playlist you want to add and tap on the + icon at the top right.
3. Open Apple Music on the Watch and try to play the songs in the added playlist or album.
3. Unpair and Pair Apple Watch
Have you tried unpairing and then pairing your Apple Watch again with your iPhone? This might help if it’s still not connecting to the iPhone. To unpair your watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone. Then, tap on All Watches at the top left of the screen and process by tapping on the info icon.
Select the last option Unpair Apple Watch, and tap on the confirmation again to unpair it.
You will be asked to enter your Apple ID password, once entered tap on Unpair and your watch will be unpaired from your iPhone. After that, you can pair your watch again with your iPhone.
4. Close Workout Tracking App
Do you use any workout tracking app on your watch? Users on the Apple Support Community have mentioned that Apple Music stopped working for them when they were using a workout tracking app parallely. So, if you are doing some house chores or working out, you can try closing the app and then using Apple Music.
To close the running app on your Apple Watch, double press the crown to open the list of recent apps, swipe left on the workout app, and tap on the cross.
5. Create a New Playlist
Apple Music is opening, but are you having trouble playing songs? Try creating a new playlist on your iPhone and then give it a go on your Apple Watch. Some users have found this trick helpful in getting their tunes to play on Apple Music.
6. Reset Apple Watch
If none of the previous fixes worked for you, the last option you can try is resetting your Apple Watch. Once done, complete the setup process on your watch and then try Apple Music again. This time Apple Music might start to work on your Apple Watch. Refer our guide on how to reset your Apple Watch.
Music on the Go
By following these troubleshooting steps, you’ll likely be able to fix most of the problems you encounter with Apple Music on your Apple Watch. Whether you’re making sure your device is up to date, testing your connection, or experimenting with more complex fixes like unpairing and repairing your devices, there’s a solution for almost every glitch.
