Apple Watch: Pandora defaults to iPhone when playing music

[StuR]

Attempting to play music from the Watch version of the Pandora app always defaults to playing from the paired iPhone. Even when they are out of range but the Watch is connected either via Wifi or Cellular service.

This is clearly incorrect behavior. The app should at least prompt the Watch wearer to select to play from the Watch. Instead it just displays “Buffering” and play.

Even if the Watch wearer manually selects to play from the Watch, as soon as the two devices are once again in range, the app automatically switches back to playing from the iPhone. Sigh.

Moderator Edit: Edited title for clarity

[AdamPandora]

@StuR Can you confirm if you're able to connect to your watch but then Pandora won't play or Pandora won't connect at all?

In the meantime, I've enabled a trace on your account to help me investigate. Would you mind uninstalling the Pandora app on your watch and reinstalling. You can install the app directly from your Apple watch using these steps:

1. Press the Digital Crown on the side of the watch to get to the Home screen and select the App Store.
2. Swipe to the top of the screen, use Scribble or Dictate to Search for the Pandora app.
3. Tap Get to install. (You may be asked to enter your Apple ID password to proceed.)

Then try to play Pandora once again. Thanks!

[StuR]

It just defaults to playing on the iPhone whenever you start it, even if you had previously selected play on in the Watch. Once you select play on the Watch it does, at least until it gets close to the iPhone again and then it just starts playing there again. Ugh.

[AdamPandora]

@StuR Thanks for following up.

Were you able to run through the troubleshooting steps I provided in my last message as well?

Let me know if you continue to experience issues with this after completing those steps.

[StuR]

I’ve reinstalled the Watch version of the app. I’ll test it tomorrow during my absence from the Watch and report back.

 Thanks.

[StuR]

This morning when I attempted to play music from the Watch version of Pandora it just gave me the same error message over and over "Something went wrong, try again later". After I force exited the app and started it again I had to renter my credentials (ugh) and then it worked, playing a tune from the Watch into my BTE attached earbuds. 

However, once I returned home and the Watch had BTE and WiFi, any further attempt to play anything just hung and then finally gave me the same error as before.

Please forward this to the dev team for investigation.

Meanwhile my hunt for a reliable Apple Watch audio streaming app continues. 

Thanks 

[AdamPandora]

@StuR Is that error message new? 

In your original post you didn't seeing that error.

Can you also send me a screenshot of the error message?

Thanks for continuing to work with me on this.

[StuR]

Hadn’t seen that message before. Unless you don’t believe me, i don’t see any need in just sending you a screenshot that simply says what i told you it says.

Unless you are a member of Pandoras dev team, please just forward my findings to them. I’m not spending any more time with this app. The Watch has been around for about 8 years or so and we shouldn’t be seeing problems like this at this point.

[StuR]

I never said it wouldn’t play, it just defaults to playing on the iPhone
whenever you start it, even if you had previously selected play in the
Watch. Once you select play on the Watch it does, at least until it gets
close to the iPhone again and then it just starts playing there again.
Broken!

[DavidP1321]

Why on earth would anyone ever want music to play on their phone when they have bluetooth headphones actively connected to their watch??  What idiot programmed it to do that?

I just want to go for a run without bringing my phone, but with earbuds, and play pandora offline. I have a subscription for offline content, but I can't get it to even play on my headphones from my watch. What is going on?

Moderator Edit: Merged posts