The ability to pair earbuds directly to a smartwatch and use music apps while exercising — no phone needed — is one of the more practical features a wearable can offer. YouTube Music for Apple Watch appears to finally be approaching that capability, with new code findings suggesting support is right around the corner.
Apple Music, Spotify, and other major music streaming services already support offline downloads on Apple Watch, but YouTube Music has lacked that feature for years.
That may soon be changing.
An analyst for MacRumors posted on Twitter/X findings within the code of the YouTube Music app for Apple Watch. The code specifically references “clear downloads” and discusses 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 Watch. The latest YouTube Music for iOS update includes strings talking about clearing downloads and disk usage for an Apple Watch.
— Aaron (@aaronp613), June 22, 2026
It’s unclear when this feature might arrive, but the signs are promising. YouTube Music already supports offline downloads on Wear OS — for Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch — as well as on Garmin smartwatches, making this an overdue addition for Apple Watch users.
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