The topic YouTube Music may be working on support for offline downloads on Apple Watch is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
There are a ton of reasons why a smartwatch can be useful, but one option that’s proven very handy is the ability to pair your earbuds directly to your watch and use music apps while exercising, no phone needed. YouTube Music for Apple Watch seems to finally be ready for that functionality, as new code findings suggest support is right around the corner.
Apple Music, Spotify, and other major music streaming services support offline downloads on Apple Watch, but YouTube Music has lacked support for years.
An analyst for MacRumors posted on Twitter/X some findings within the code for the YouTube Music app for Apple Watch. The code specifically calls out “clear downloads” and talks about storage use on the watch. It’s not quite a smoking gun, but it signals that YouTube Music is at least laying the groundwork for offline download support on Apple Watch.
YouTube is working on adding offline download support for YouTube Music on Apple WatchThe latest YouTube Music for iOS update includes strings talking about clearing downloads and disk usage for an Apple Watch pic.twitter.com/QhDClbkrJl
It’s unclear when this might arrive, but hopefully it’s not too far off.
YouTube Music already supports offline downloads on Wear OS (for Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch) as well as on Garmin smartwatches, so this is certainly an overdue arrival for Apple Watch users.