Prevent Apple Watch from playing music on my phone?

[jblucher]

Is there a way to prevent my watch from playing music on my phone? I'd like to keep these things separate. If I want to listen on my phone, I'll use my phone. If I want to listen on my watch, I'll use my watch. I find the Apple Music watch app infuriating.

Are there any settings I'm not aware of? Any third-party apps that handle this better?

 

[Howard2k]

Your watch is not playing music on your phone.

There are a few scenarios that can cause "unexpected" music experience issues but it does depends on your specific situation. If you can provide some details it would probably help.

In a nutshell, if you're using AirPods, then they will by default connect back to your phone if you're wearing them and if the phone needs to provide audible feedback or audio. In the AirPods setting on the phone you can change that setting (Settings, Bluetooth, Airpods)

Then for your music client it will also default to your phone if it's available. So if you're using Spotify and you begin a Spotify session from your watch but your phone has the Spotify app open it may move it back there. There are various ways around that but the easiest ones are:

* Close Spotify on the phone. This will likely solve the issue, but in addition you can:
* Disable BT on the phone (from Settings, not from the Control Centre)
* Disable the AirPod default to phone as I mentioned above.


If you can provide some details on the exact behaviour we can try to help more.

 

[jblucher]

Thanks for the quick response. I appreciate the help. I'll try to provide more details.

I only use Apple Music. No Spotify or other music services.

I'm pretty sure it is playing the music on my phone. It shows as it is playing on my phone, and I can hear it on my phone.

This happens when I go for a run and leave my phone at home. If I try to start the music while my phone is still within range, it will almost also default to the phone and start playing music there. I have to wait until far enough away from my house to make sure. Otherwise, I come home to my phone playing the playlist I tried to start on my watch.

There are no situations where I want to control the music I'm playing on my phone from my watch. I wish I could turn it off.

 

[Howard2k]

Thanks. Yeah it’s either the phone taking control via Apple Music, or the phone taking control of the Airpods. Or possibly both. I would make sure that the Apple Music app is closed on the phone. I suspect that might do the trick. If not, then before you leave for your run turn off Bluetooth on the phone (from Settings). If closing the app on the phone doesn’t work then I’m certain that will.

I have that same scenario, running without the phone and want Spotify on the watch. I don’t need to go as far as displaying Bluetooth temporarily, but I would consider doing so if I needed to.

 

[jblucher]

Thanks. I'll give it try this afternoon.

 

[Howard2k]

Good luck.