Just In: Spotify’s Wear OS app is getting offline playback in the coming weeks

Spotify’s revised Wear OS app will be available “in the next weeks,” according to Spotify, and will support offline playback on smartwatches running Wear OS 2.0 and higher. The new feature was unveiled in May, along with news of Google’s partnership with Samsung on Wear OS 3, the next iteration of the wearable operating system.

Because offline downloads will be available on Wear OS 2, they will not be limited to upcoming Wear OS 3 devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Spotify claims that it will work with watches from Fossil, Mobvoi, and Suunto.

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Meanwhile, Google’s new YouTube Music Wear OS app is only available on Wear OS 3 and allows offline listening.

You’ll need a Premium subscription to use the feature, which is similar to Spotify’s offline listening for the Apple Watch, which arrived in May.

By using the “Download to watch” option in the Spotify Wear OS app, you’ll be able to download music or podcasts, according to Spotify. Once a playlist, album, or podcast is accessible for offline listening, a small green arrow will show next to it. Users with a free account will be able to download podcasts to their watches for offline listening, but music will have to be streamed in shuffle mode over Wi-Fi or cellular.