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Playing music without downloading to watch

Hello, I'm new to Garmin as I just switched from using a Pebble for the past 5 years. I do not care about downloading music to my watch or syncing headphones with my watch. I only want to control the music my phone is streaming, but I'm struggling. I kind of got it to work by switch the watch to "phone" for music providers, but now the controls don't react when I press them. It does not display what is playing, nor does the play/ pause button react. However, as of just now, the music on my phone will pause and play and skip, but the watch does not display this. Please tell me what I am doing wrong. This is a big thing for my watch to do since I like to be able to control my Bluetooth speakers from my wrist instead of my phone. For instance, while driving or with my Bluetooth shower head speaker. If it helps, my only music player I use is Spotify and I have a Galaxy S10e phone

  • Not sure where is the problem because it should work exactly as you would like to. I am using it both ways and it is enough to just switch music provider from my music to phone and back, nothing else. Maybe check if Garmin connect app has all permissions needed? 

  • Which phone and which app are you using?

  • Phone: Galaxy S10e

    App: Spotify

    Watch setting for music: phone

  • So I didn't end up having to do anything... I just went to test the watch music control to troubleshoot it more but it's working the way it should now. Technology man Rolling eyes must have just been glitching out before

    But I'm glad it's working! I verified your comment because it might help someone in the future!

  • So I believe I'm having the same issue. I use Spotify and I used to be able to control de music streaming on my phone from my Garmin, but now it says I have to connect my headphones in order to do so. Please help!! Want to control the music streaming on Spotify in my cell from my Garmin.

  • Were you able to get it working? I think my watch was just glitching out when I first got it and I haven't had an issue since. It seems you are the opposite of me... I can only suggest variations of factory resetting the watch, reinstalling Garmin connect and Spotify, and maybe contacting Garmin support if you can. It's really frustrating not being able to control music from the watch!

  • I got my vivoactive4 a couple of days ago and noticed that I could control spotify music playing on my phone from my watch however I then installed the Spotify App and linked it to my account but I noticed I had to download playlists in order to play them and could no longer control the music playing on my phone from the watch so I simply uninstalled the Spotify App form my phone and now I can control again.