A brief solution i found was to kill the now playing app on watch after a workout and as a result now Apple Watch displays now playing app of iPhone.
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IPhone audio not appearing in Watch Now Playing
- Thread starter Tagbert
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According to the Status Icons page, it's gone with OS 9. Along with the workout icon.
Both of these things I use often. I should NOT have to fiddle with the dock to get to my now-playing if I need to quickly pause music or workout. Actual functionality (cus I could just tap on it to get back to those apps) for ... what? I don't even use those other icons.
There is now no Watch face that gives me what I want - which I had with the prior layout & the 2 icons at the top.
Both of these things I use often. I should NOT have to fiddle with the dock to get to my now-playing if I need to quickly pause music or workout. Actual functionality (cus I could just tap on it to get back to those apps) for ... what? I don't even use those other icons.
There is now no Watch face that gives me what I want - which I had with the prior layout & the 2 icons at the top.
A workaround is the „Now Playing +“ complication:
9to5mac.com
Uses some space on the watch face of course.
Now Playing corner complication finally comes to Apple Watch
A Now Playing corner complication is something Apple hasn't made for the Watch so far. Now Playing Plus is a free app that solves that.
9to5mac.com
Uses some space on the watch face of course.
Ok long ass post that doesn’t address the issue. Before now playing pop up automatically. Apple removed functionality. That’s the issue. You can always open now playing app on the watch and control it (or add now playing on the dock (which is what I did tonight while traveling). But before it was handy because you would play a music and now playing launches on the watch screen automatically.
My guess it’s an app behavior that a number of people didn’t like so apple taketh away.
It‘s a very annoying bug. I hope they catch it soon.
I can see that removing the icon makes it harder to get to Now Playing. I never used that method but mainly because Now Playing always popped up when I played audio from my Phone.
I can quickly open Now Playing on the watch as it is on the top of my favorite watch apps and I press the side button. That is clumsy but I could accept it, the problem is that Now Playing doesn't auto connect to the phone audio it always defaults to audio from the Watch (which I never ever do). I have to then tap the small navigation at the top of Now Play and scroll through a list of audio sources on the watch until I get to the phone and choose it. Half the time there is an error message that it cannot connect to the phone. Then I tap again and it connects. Definitely buggy and a broken user experience to boot.
I can quickly open Now Playing on the watch as it is on the top of my favorite watch apps and I press the side button. That is clumsy but I could accept it, the problem is that Now Playing doesn't auto connect to the phone audio it always defaults to audio from the Watch (which I never ever do). I have to then tap the small navigation at the top of Now Play and scroll through a list of audio sources on the watch until I get to the phone and choose it. Half the time there is an error message that it cannot connect to the phone. Then I tap again and it connects. Definitely buggy and a broken user experience to boot.
This is also a safety issue.
The bluetooth in my car is spotty, at best. Sometimes my phone connects (after significant delay) and sometimes not. I'm not in a place to replace the entire audio unit or buy a new car, so I have an iPod hooked up for music.
Before the update: I could get a quick glance down at my Watch, realize the bluetooth in my car had picked up my phone, and quickly pause/stop the playback.
Now? I have absolutely NO idea if it's picked up my phone or not. To find out, I either need to sit in my car for a while before going anywhere, or fiddle with my radio and/or phone, while I'm driving (which also runs the risk of running my battery down).
Make it an option to turn it off or on, but don't take it away altogether.
Same thing happening here. I don't use auto-launch, but instead have a Now Playing complication on one of my watch faces.
Since 16.4 / 9.4, the complication will randomly stop working. Prior to the update, it would reliably display whatever music was playing on my Apple Watch. Now, I have to reboot the watch to get it to work.
I similarly reported it through Feedback Assistant, with logs and screenshots. Hoping for a fix soon.
Since 16.4 / 9.4, the complication will randomly stop working. Prior to the update, it would reliably display whatever music was playing on my Apple Watch. Now, I have to reboot the watch to get it to work.
I similarly reported it through Feedback Assistant, with logs and screenshots. Hoping for a fix soon.
I found this thread on Apple's support forums and commented on it. If you feel like marking "Me too!" and commenting that might get some attention.
discussions.apple.com
Now Playing on Apple Watch SE hasn't been… - Apple Community
I hope that it continues to work for you. For me, that was only a temporary relief.
Just chiming in to say “me too”. I thought I was losing my mind wondering if it used to auto launch seamlessly. Now I have to fiddle with going to the now playing app manually. Go back, choose iPhone, attempt 2-3 tries for it to finally connect.
One further issue. I feel like Now Playing used to stay on the screen if something was playing. Now it constantly reverts back to the watch face defeating the purpose of it being a quick wrist raise to change tracks. Anyone else notice it doesn’t stay anymore??
One further issue. I feel like Now Playing used to stay on the screen if something was playing. Now it constantly reverts back to the watch face defeating the purpose of it being a quick wrist raise to change tracks. Anyone else notice it doesn’t stay anymore??
Another issue I found today is that when the watch doesn’t want to easily communicate the Now Playing with the phone. I will have to manually go to the now playing app. choose iPhone. It’ll say it can’t connect a few times and then it’ll work. However because this is so broken… within the Workout app swiping over to change or interact with what’s playing is blank. This is ridiculous. The immersion of the Apple Ecosystem seems to slowly be crumbling with my devices.
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I only had this once in the workout app. Normally it is working reliably. But if not, very nerving.
Well, this is a "me too" post. The now playing complication doesn't show to be selected in the watch and when opening now playing from the app menu in the watch it shows blank. At hitting play, doesn't show iPhone to choose as where to play. So, I'm not the only one then... good. It works with the workout only...
I’m hoping that enough people inside Apple are missing this feature and that a fix could be in 9.5. I haven’t tried the beta that was released this week. Has anyone here?
I hope it stays fixed. A few have noted that it seems to work for a while after reboot and then goes back to ignoring iPhone audio streams. I am installing now and will see how it goes.
The AirPlay warning is gone for me. But it is still starting with what is playing on my watch.