Watch: watchOS 4 restricts browsing of connected iPhone music library

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited September 2017
With the release of watchOS 4, Apple no longer allows users to browse their iPhone's music library, restricting song list viewing to tunes stored on device.





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dws-2
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    Doesn't matter, it runs out of battery quickly anyway. I wonder what surprises we see with iPhone X....
  • Reply 2 of 35
    This is a bummer!  I used this feature to select/ change playlists on my iPhone while it AirPlays to my home stereo (cool party trick).  Luckily I can still use my watch to pause, skip, change volume on my iPhone, but cannot change playlists from the watch like I used to.  Oh well ...
  • Reply 3 of 35
    Breaking: Apple announced today that an app to allow full viewing of the library on the watch, but requires an in-app purchase of a $10/mo subscription. First 3 months are free.
    airnerd
  • Reply 4 of 35
    Old way could get confusing when the Watch would magically go back to preferring iPhone source right before running outside and leaving it behind. Probably best to start the obvious process of consciously decoupling the two devices, just as Apple slowly did with iPhone years ago.
    emig647StrangeDaysAnilu_777EsquireCatsdws-2GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 5 of 35
    Bad move.
    anantksundaramairnerd
  • Reply 6 of 35
    colesq said:
    Old way could get confusing when the Watch would magically go back to preferring iPhone source right before running outside and leaving it behind. Probably best to start the obvious process of consciously decoupling the two devices, just as Apple slowly did with iPhone years ago.
    My partner had this problem often while prepping for a run. Once outside the range of the paired iphone left at home, music stopped and she didn’t know what to do. This fixes that. 
    edited September 2017 dws-2GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 7 of 35

    ben20 said:
    Doesn't matter, it runs out of battery quickly anyway. I wonder what surprises we see with iPhone X....
    Huh? All day battery. I charge at bed time, some get up to two days. 
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 8 of 35
    colesq said:
    Old way could get confusing when the Watch would magically go back to preferring iPhone source right before running outside and leaving it behind. Probably best to start the obvious process of consciously decoupling the two devices, just as Apple slowly did with iPhone years ago.
    My partner had this problem often while prepping for a run. Once outside the range of the paired iphone left at home, music stopped and she didn’t know what to do. This fixes that. 
    How did they play music - stored on the Watch?
  • Reply 9 of 35
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Corporate Apple.
    anantksundaram
  • Reply 10 of 35
    Anilu_777 said:
    colesq said:
    Old way could get confusing when the Watch would magically go back to preferring iPhone source right before running outside and leaving it behind. Probably best to start the obvious process of consciously decoupling the two devices, just as Apple slowly did with iPhone years ago.
    My partner had this problem often while prepping for a run. Once outside the range of the paired iphone left at home, music stopped and she didn’t know what to do. This fixes that. 
    How did they play music - stored on the Watch?
    She never really got that the Music app could be in one of two different “modes”, and despite being vaguely aware of this wasn’t certain how to switch between them. Even I found it sometimes confusing. So I suspect the reason for the change is to make it more streamlined — the Music app on the watch is for music on the watch, or streamed to it off the cloud. I’d bet Apple’s use data shows few people used the Music app to remotely control the library on their iphone (even if a cool party trick). And that the Now Playing feature was more useful (quick controls to the music playing on your iphone in your pocket right now)...I used that in the gym all the time and I think it’s easier for normals to grasp without thinking about it. 
    edited September 2017 dws-2
  • Reply 11 of 35
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    With the release of watchOS 4, Apple no longer allows users to browse their iPhone's music library, restricting song list viewing to tunes stored on device.


    Do we yet know whether the entire 16GB storage can be dynamically allocated by the user, to store more than the current 2GB/250 song limit?
  • Reply 12 of 35
    Sayonara, S3. I just canceled my pre-order. 

    Will stick with S0 for now, unless that gets compromised too via  some stupid software update (I might just go back to my analog watch, and iPhone). 
    edited September 2017
  • Reply 13 of 35
    ben20 said:
    Doesn't matter, it runs out of battery quickly anyway. I wonder what surprises we see with iPhone X....
    You obviously have not used a Watch all that much. 
    SoliStrangeDays
  • Reply 14 of 35
    Sayonara, S3. I just canceled my pre-order. 

    Will stick with S0 for now, unless that gets compromised too via  some stupid software update (I might just go back to my analog watch, and iPhone). 
    This isn’t a S3 issue this is a watchOS 4 issue. But from reading other things about the S3 I can see why you might cancel your order.
  • Reply 15 of 35
    boondock said:
    Sayonara, S3. I just canceled my pre-order. 

    Will stick with S0 for now, unless that gets compromised too via  some stupid software update (I might just go back to my analog watch, and iPhone). 
    This isn’t a S3 issue this is a watchOS 4 issue. But from reading other things about the S3 I can see why you might cancel your order.
    For S0, that would be a significant degradation of functionality since there is no opportunity to stream. 

    I am awell ware that it is a watchOS4 issue, and am bracing for the possibility that my planned purchase of iPX with iOS 11 may end up requiring watchOS4 on my S0, or brick it. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. 

    I think, no, hope that Apple will -- indeed, will have to -- reverse this decision. 
  • Reply 16 of 35
    This is a good change, the music app on the watch used to be a pain in the ass with the source constantly switching back to the phone. Likely a hangover from the series 0 which didn't have the incredible battery life of the Series 2. 

    As for remote controlling the phone, this seems like a ripe opportunity to update the Remotes app - the place where it should have been all along.
    dws-2
  • Reply 17 of 35
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    colesq said:
    Old way could get confusing when the Watch would magically go back to preferring iPhone source right before running outside and leaving it behind. Probably best to start the obvious process of consciously decoupling the two devices, just as Apple slowly did with iPhone years ago.
    My partner had this problem often while prepping for a run. Once outside the range of the paired iphone left at home, music stopped and she didn’t know what to do. This fixes that. 
    Yes, a really annoying problem. Same thing happens in the gym. You have to remember to switch off Bluetooth on the phone before switching on the Powerbeats. 
  • Reply 18 of 35
    Does anyone knows, if you still can „like“ or „dislike“ a song played on your iPhone on Apple Watch?
  • Reply 19 of 35
    Pulling no punches : this was a mistake by Apple. Not that they usually admit them. The music feature on Apple Watch as it functioned on previous iterations was absolute genius and the most used feature of the Watch by many including myself: for those drones who re-spin with tales of poor battery life
    ..... whhhhhhhaaaaaatttttt....... the f are you talking about....... the Watch was used to select songs not play them. No brownie points for you.
    i am confident Apple will correct this because it’s pure Android not to.
    Was this sucky enough for typical forums. Thankfully no.

  • Reply 20 of 35
    So exactly HTF is this a "feature"?
    anantksundaram
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