Controlling music on iPhone from Watch Music app is returning in 4.3...

[skillwill]

Seeing as it's coming back, I'm just wondering what you guys' opinions are on what happened in the first place. Do you think it was removed with the intention of being brought back (maybe they wanted to fix something, as was the case with 3D Touch multitasking on iPhone in iOS 11), or do you think they planned on permanently removing it but have listened to feedback?

 

[barjam]

As the watch gets more independent this feature makes less and less sense, it will eventually go away. Apple just jumped the gun a bit.

I used this feature from time to time on the S0, but would never use it again with the S3.

 

[blairh]

As someone who sold their S1 for a GPS S3 just to get this feature back, I'm very happy for S0-S2 users. I was certain it wasn't coming back for them.

The 'why' is puzzling. Remove a feature in 4.0 only to return it in 4.3? Very sloppy. Keep in mind, from what I'm learning on this forum, you cannot play any track you want from an album. You can select an album, and then it will allow you to skip songs one by one. But you can't scroll an album tracklist. If I'm wrong, someone feel free to chime in. Currently when I select an album the first song automatically starts playing (which I don't like) but I can then select any song from the album without skipping through them.

 

[MrGimper]

As someone who sold their S1 for a GPS S3 just to get this feature back, I'm very happy for S0-S2 users. I was certain it wasn't coming back for them.

The 'why' is puzzling. Remove a feature in 4.0 only to return it in 4.3? Very sloppy. Keep in mind, from what I'm learning on this forum, you cannot play any track you want from an album. You can select an album, and then it will allow you to skip songs one by one. But you can't scroll an album tracklist. If I'm wrong, someone feel free to chime in. Currently when I select an album the first song automatically starts playing (which I don't like) but I can then select any song from the album without skipping through them.

By "currently", you mean on the current released WatchOS and not 4.3 Beta?

On 4.3 you can select an album, and it will start playing the first song. You can then skip forward a track or back a track using << and >> Currently in the 4.3 B1 implementation, there is no way of pulling up an albums track list and tapping track 6 for example. I can't recall if this was there prior to WatchOS 4, but the fact it now seems strange to me implies that it was.
[doublepost=1516985405][/doublepost]

As the watch gets more independent this feature makes less and less sense, it will eventually go away. Apple just jumped the gun a bit.

I used this feature from time to time on the S0, but would never use it again with the S3.

Because your music collection consists of about 4GB of music stored on the watch or because you stream all your music and smash your cellular usage.

However, I imagine most people have iPhones with more than 4GB of storage, which hold their entire music collection, which is their primary music device, which has their wireless (or wired) headphones connected to it, and just want to use the watch as the best remote control.........

 

[blairh]

By "currently", you mean on the current released WatchOS and not 4.3 Beta?

On 4.3 you can select an album, and it will start playing the first song. You can then skip forward a track or back a track using << and >> Currently in the 4.3 B1 implementation, there is no way of pulling up an albums track list and tapping track 6 for example. I can't recall if this was there prior to WatchOS 4, but the fact it now seems strange to me implies that it was.

Yeah I meant 4.2.2. I'm curious why 4.3 won't let you select a track from an album. I can currently do that on my S3 GPS and you could do that before 4.0. That would truly suck if I lose that feature.

 

[barjam]

By "currently", you mean on the current released WatchOS and not 4.3 Beta?

On 4.3 you can select an album, and it will start playing the first song. You can then skip forward a track or back a track using << and >> Currently in the 4.3 B1 implementation, there is no way of pulling up an albums track list and tapping track 6 for example. I can't recall if this was there prior to WatchOS 4, but the fact it now seems strange to me implies that it was.
[doublepost=1516985405][/doublepost]

Because your music collection consists of about 4GB of music stored on the watch or because you stream all your music and smash your cellular usage.

However, I imagine most people have iPhones with more than 4GB of storage, which hold their entire music collection, which is their primary music device, which has their wireless (or wired) headphones connected to it, and just want to use the watch as the best remote control.........

The new watch stores more music than that, I have 5.6 gb of music right now with 4.5 gb free. As far as streaming on cellular it doesn't even cross my mind. I have a 35 gb/mo plan with rollover data. It might as well be unlimited.

This is where things are headed. Like I said they jumped the gun a bit, as Apple does, but this feature will ultimately fall away. The second time it falls away, no one will care

 

[Duncan-UK]

The new watch stores more music than that, I have 5.6 gb of music right now with 4.5 gb free. As far as streaming on cellular it doesn't even cross my mind. I have a 35 gb/mo plan with rollover data. It might as well be unlimited.

This is where things are headed. Like I said they jumped the gun a bit, as Apple does, but this feature will ultimately fall away. The second time it falls away, no one will care

Except those who don’t want a music player with miserable storage on their wrists, and which takes an eternity to transfer. I might be more interested if they have a watch with 128gb of storage.

Fortunately Apple restored my S0 watch to os 3 so I’ve had my music service restored. I won’t bother “upgrading” to 4 as it was a battery killer.

Music control remains the killer app for me and I won’t be buying a new watch hen the old one is less than 3 years old.

 

[barjam]

Except those who don’t want a music player with miserable storage on their wrists, and which takes an eternity to transfer. I might be more interested if they have a watch with 128gb of storage.

Fortunately Apple restored my S0 watch to os 3 so I’ve had my music service restored. I won’t bother “upgrading” to 4 as it was a battery killer.

Music control remains the killer app for me and I won’t be buying a new watch hen the old one is less than 3 years old.

Transfer times? I couldn't tell you how long it takes as it happens automatically. How are you in a situation where you know what those times are?

Part of your issue is you are running an S0. S3 drastically changes the how the device can be used day to day in particular the LTE option. I went for a walk last night without my phone and had all of my music with me. Some was on device, probably, some wasn't... it just worked and I didn't have to consider any of this.

If both the watch and the phone have access to the same music lists of music at all times, browsing one from the other makes little sense.

Like I said before they were just ahead of the user base a little bit as Apple often is. Once obsolete devices fall off and new usage patterns emerge this feature will quietly go away and no one will care. They just pulled the trigger too soon is all.

As far as battery issues on your S0, you should get that looked into. My previously replaced S0 (actually, I still own it, haven't sold it yet) and my wife's S0 both run the latest OS and have no battery concerns whatsoever.

 

[BarracksSi]

I liked it when I could use it. Sometimes I only want some background music, and my phone, parked on a shelf nearby, is good enough.

I'll admit that I used it most when I was out shopping with my wife and stored the phone in her purse. I'd be nearby and secretly make her purse start playing music.

 

[Duncan-UK]

Transfer times? I couldn't tell you how long it takes as it happens automatically. How are you in a situation where you know what those times are?

Part of your issue is you are running an S0. S3 drastically changes the how the device can be used day to day in particular the LTE option. I went for a walk last night without my phone and had all of my music with me. Some was on device, probably, some wasn't... it just worked and I didn't have to consider any of this.

If both the watch and the phone have access to the same music lists of music at all times, browsing one from the other makes little sense.

Like I said before they were just ahead of the user base a little bit as Apple often is. Once obsolete devices fall off and new usage patterns emerge this feature will quietly go away and no one will care. They just pulled the trigger too soon is all.

As far as battery issues on your S0, you should get that looked into. My previously replaced S0 (actually, I still own it, haven't sold it yet) and my wife's S0 both run the latest OS and have no battery concerns whatsoever.

So how would you manage on the tube or in other places with no or less than optimal cellular or WiFi signal. Apple maybe thinking 5 years ahead of the curve, but I want a product that works today.

Removing the ability to navigate through the iphones music library was short sighted and arrogant in the extreme.

 

[tcellguy]

So how would you manage on the tube or in other places with no or less than optimal cellular or WiFi signal. Apple maybe thinking 5 years ahead of the curve, but I want a product that works today.

Removing the ability to navigate through the iphones music library was short sighted and arrogant in the extreme.

I agree. Even with the S3 the watch struggles to download my music even after being connected to the charger overnight. It seems to be like 1 album per hour would be my experience.

With regard to audio quality I believe steaming uses less than the full bandwidth Apple Music AAC. The other obvious issue is that I don’t want to be limited to Bluetooth headphones in all scenarios.

On my S3 on 4.2 I can change tracks and see a track listing when using Powerbeats 3 headphones playing music from then watch. There is a hamburger button in the left lower corner. Maybe they will add that to the beta.

 

[barjam]

So how would you manage on the tube or in other places with no or less than optimal cellular or WiFi signal. Apple maybe thinking 5 years ahead of the curve, but I want a product that works today.

Removing the ability to navigate through the iphones music library was short sighted and arrogant in the extreme.

I am almost never anyplace without at least LTE. For times I would be listening to the watch I would *always* have LTE.

This is an issue for either the phone or the watch anyhow. Without intervention you have no guarantee a song will be on either device. It might be cached... if not you need to click download.

The way it works I have roughly 6-10 gb music on the watch of things I am currently listening too. That list changes over time but it updated automatically.

 

[punterab80]

Yeah I meant 4.2.2. I'm curious why 4.3 won't let you select a track from an album. I can currently do that on my S3 GPS and you could do that before 4.0. That would truly suck if I lose that feature.

I know you could see and select from the list of tracks on an album, prior to watch os 4. With 4.3 beta you can't see the tracks on an album! so its not a full "return" to these features. I hope this will be added back soon!!!

 

[Gav2k]

Seeing as it's coming back, I'm just wondering what you guys' opinions are on what happened in the first place. Do you think it was removed with the intention of being brought back (maybe they wanted to fix something, as was the case with 3D Touch multitasking on iPhone in iOS 11), or do you think they planned on permanently removing it but have listened to feedback?

Having actually used the feature on a series 0 till it was removed it was slow from the off. The series 0 as much as I loved it was underpowered for certain tasks.