Spotify Testing a Redesigned Now Playing Screen for Galaxy Watch

Spotify seems to be working on a refreshed Now Playing experience that you’ll soon see on your Galaxy Watch. The update makes music controls easier to use on small screens and puts album art front and center.

Galaxy Watch may soon get a refreshed Spotify Now Playing experience

The updated interface adds the album cover art and reorganizes buttons for play/pause and skipping tracks. We’re also getting our first look thanks to Android Authority, which spotted it on a Galaxy Watch 7 running One UI 8 Watch, via Telegram user @Fitzingout.

With Spotify v9.1.20.1442, we can see that the new layout centers on a full screen album cover and touch based controls. The approach is similar to YouTube. Tap the artwork to play or pause. Double tap the left side to go back to the previous song, or double tap the right side to skip forward.

A larger, bolder clock now sits at the top of the screen, while the song title and artist name appear at the bottom. Swipe up on the album art to bring back the classic control layout, including play, pause, previous, and next buttons, along with device output, save, and playlist options.

Smartwatch displays leave little room for complex UI elements, so this shift is welcome. The redesign leans into simplicity, making controls easier to tap and cutting down on visual clutter.

The core controls are still familiar, and the updated layout feels more modern. It also aligns better with Wear OS design principles. That said, as good as it sounds, the new design could be more prone to accidental touches and unintended commands than before.

Still a work in progress

The redesigned Now Playing screen hasn’t rolled out widely yet, as it appears to be part of a limited server side test. Still, its presence suggests Spotify is trying out the new look before a broader release.

If the change makes it into the final global version, it should make controlling music from Galaxy smartwatches faster, cleaner, and more enjoyable.