Best 2025 Smartwatches for music controls

#1

Music controls had limited evidence but were praised as handy for controlling phone audio from the watch.

#2

Music controls and Apple Music access were praised as joyful when running without an iPhone.

#3

Music controls are useful for controlling phone playback from the wrist, according to one reviewer.

#4

Music controls had limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer calling the music player well optimized.

#5

Music controls were basic but useful, with reviewers appreciating phone playback control and album artwork.

#6

Music controls were a small but positive smartwatch feature, with one reviewer calling the playback widgets well optimized.

#7

Music/media handling during workouts is useful enough to help motivation, though evidence is limited to one reviewer’s workout experience.

#8

Music controls received limited but positive support, with one reviewer finding pause and skip controls easy to use.

#9

Music controls and speaker/media features were useful additions, though reviewers were split on how often they would actually use playback from the watch speaker.

#10

Music controls were serviceable to good for phone playback, but reviewers framed them as limited controls rather than a full music experience.

#11

Music controls were useful when controlling phone playback, but support varied by service and reviewer setup.

#12

Music controls were considered acceptable for basic phone control, but not a deeper music experience.

#13

Music controls and playback support were mixed: offline Spotify was useful, but Spotify switching could be janky.

#14

Music controls are limited but usable: reviewers note phone playback control as a nice feature, while warning that streaming-service support is absent.

#15

Music controls were available but treated as a minor phone-control convenience rather than a standout feature.

#16

Music controls were mixed: some reviewers praised phone media controls, while others noted absent or not-yet-available controls during testing.

#17

Music can be controlled from the watch, but the tiny speaker is not ideal. Bluetooth headphones provide the more practical listening experience.

#18

Music controls were criticized because controls did not automatically appear when music was playing on a phone.

#19

Music controls had limited evidence and one reviewer criticized delayed always-on media control support.

#20

Music controls received mixed evidence because one reviewer found gesture music control limited to Samsung Music Player in testing.

#21

Music controls are weak because reviewers note missing phone playback control and limited direct playback.