Google is rolling out a new update to WearOS smartwatches that let the devices stream music from YouTube Music without a phone. This can work over WiFi or even LTE connections, if your watch supports it.
YouTube Music previously allowed WearOS devices to only download music offline into the on-board storage which can then be streamed offline when the device is being used without a phone. However, now the watch can also stream music without a connected phone.
The feature is great for those who use their WearOS watches for working out or when on walks or runs where they don’t want to carry a phone with them. Users will now have access to YouTube Music Premium’s library of over 80 million tracks and thousands of playlists, all without being tethered to a phone. Sadly, the feature is not available if you use an iOS phone with your watch.
YouTube Music for WearOS will also come with a Smart Downloads feature that will automatically refresh songs on your smartwatch when it is connected to WiFi.
However, note that when outdoors for a run or any similar use-case, you will require an LTE-supported watch and an LTE connection to be able to stream music. Otherwise, you will be stuck at the mercy of offline songs or nearby WiFi networks you can access.
Google also mentioned in a blog post that users will be able to add a YouTube Music tile to their watch. This tile will allow users to access recently played music.
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