Now, Apple Watch is a powerful and versatile smartwatch on the market. It seamlessly integrates into the Apple ecosystem, so it can serve as an extension of the iPhone, offering fitness tracking, health monitoring, notifications, and even standalone app support directly from your wrist. Among these features, music streaming is popular among users.
Does Apple Watch work with Tidal? Many Tidal fans wonder about this question. The answer is yes, the Apple Watch does support Tidal. You can get an official way to use Tidal Apple Watch easily. Besides, we provide an extra way to show how to enjoy Tidal songs on Apple Watch without the Tidal app in this post. This is great news for fitness enthusiasts alike. Without further ado, let's get started.
Part 1. Does Tidal Work on Apple Watch
Since there is an official Tidal Apple Watch app, Apple Watch users can download and link Tidal directly to their watches. You can even download Tidal music for offline listening if you subscribe to TIDAL plan. But before using Tidal on your Apple Watch, one thing you need to be aware of is that Apple Watch Tidal does not support high-quality music. The sound quality of Tidal on Apple Watch will be greatly degraded compared to what you'd hear on your mobile or desktop device, even if you have subscribed to TIDAL plan.
View also: Tidal Master vs HiFi
If you are an audiophile who wants to listen to high-quality Tidal music on your watch, we've found another way for you. All you need is a third-party software, AudFree Tidal Music Converter, to help you download Tidal music to your Apple Watch losslessly. Then you can put the Tidal downloads to Apple Watch to enjoy. In this way, you can listen to Tidal music on Apple Watch offline without the Tidal app.
For more details, you can skip to Part 3.
Part 2. How to Use Tidal on Apple Watch Officially
In this part, we will show you how to link Tidal to Apple Watch to stream music online and offline step by step. Before that, please make sure your Apple Watch is Apple Watch Series 3 or later running watchOS 7.1 or above. Otherwise, you won't be able to use the Tidal app on your Apple Watch. Also, your iPhone needs to be iOS 12 or above and you need to have an active Tidal subscription. Moreover, connect your device with a stable WiFi or cellular connection.
Section 1. How to Download and Install Tidal App for Apple Watch
From Apple Watch's App Store
Step 1. Open the App Store on your Apple Watch.
Step 2. Search for Tidal and tap on 'Get' to download and install the Apple Watch Tidal app.
From iPhone
Step 1. Launch the Watch app from your iPhone.
Step 2. Click on the My Watch option and then find Tidal app.
Step 3. Tap the Install button to install Tidal app on your watch.
Section 2. How to Connect and Play Tidal on Apple Watch
Step 1. Open the Tidal app and it will display a code.
Step 2. On your phone, go to link.tidal.com Apple Watch and link your watch to your Tidal account by entering the link.tidal.com login code shown on your Apple Watch.
Step 3. Tap on 'Done' on your Apple Watch and you can start playing Tidal on Apple Watch.
Section 3. How to Download Tidal Music to Apple Watch
Step 1. Please open the Tidal app on your watch first.
Step 2. Next, you should locate the songs or playlists you want to download and tap the 'Download' icon.
Step 3. After downloading, you can find the downloaded Tidal music in the 'Downloaded' section.
Then, you are able to play Tidal music on Apple Watch without using phone offline.
Part 3. How to Download Tidal Music for Apple Watch Losslessly
It is easy to download and link Tidal to your Apple Watch with the official way. However, the streaming sound quality on Apple Watch isn't as good because Tidal limits music quality on the Apple Watch to just 96 Kbps. But don't worry, we're going to provide you with a way to listen to high-quality Tidal music on your Apple Watch.
Because the Apple Watch allows syncing music from the music library on the iPhone to the watch, you can then transfer lossless Tidal tracks to your watch. Here's where the secret lies:
1. Download Tidal songs locally on computer
2. Transfer the offline Tidal downloads to iPhone
3. Put music from iPhone to Apple Watch
To make it work, you'll need the help of the AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It is a professional tool designed to download and convert Tidal tracks to common formats like MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Lossless, M4A, and M4B. Normally, even with a Tidal subscription, you can only download Tidal music for offline listening on the Tidal mobile app. But the AudFree Tidal Music Downloader has made it possible on the Tidal web player and helps users get rid of all restrictions on the Tidal downloads.
Even more, this tool can save 100% Tidal tracks losslessly with all metadata preserved, such as artist, title, album art. Running on a Windows or Mac computer, AudFree Tidal Music Downloader can work at up to 37X downloading and conversion speed.
So, you can now install the AudFree Tidal Music Downloader by clicking the "Download" button below. You will then be able to get Tidal songs to play on your Apple Watch losslessly without a Tidal subscription.
AudFree Tidal Music Downloader

- Download Tidal songs, albums, playlists, etc. without quality loss
- Convert Tidal music to MP3, WAV, AIFF, M4A, etc.
- Work at 37X speed with all ID3 tag information kept
- Play Tidal on Apple Watch with high quality
Here we will show all the steps required to get Tidal downloads and you'll also learn how to transfer Tidal music to Apple Watch for offline listening. Before getting started, please make sure you have installed the right version of the AudFree Tidal Music Downloader.
- Step 1Load Tidal music to AudFree Tidal Downloader
- Launch the AudFree Tidal Music Downloader. Find the track or playlist you want to download in the built-in Tidal web player. Tap the audio track, click the '+' button and hit the 'Add to list' button to add Tidal music.
- Step 2Customize output format for Tidal Apple Watch
- Mac users are able to find "AudFree Tidal Music Converter" on the left menu bar of the desktop. Windows users just simply go to the "menu" icon from the upper-right corner in AudFree tool to select the "Preferences" > "Conversion" section. Since iTunes supports WAV, AIFF, MP3, etc., in order to play Tidal on Apple Watch losslessly, you are suggested to choose the output format among them. You can also adjust other audio parameters like audio channels, bit rate and more according to your needs. Once done, tap OK.
- Step 3Download music from Tidal for Apple Watch
- Now, tap the "Convert" button at the bottom-right corner of the "Converting" window, and the AudFree tool will start to download and convert Tidal for Apple Watch. The whole conversion duration is based on the number of songs on the converting list. When the downloading is finished, a red spot with numbers will pop up. Please click it to check and locate Tidal music downloads from the output folder. Then you are able to upload Tidal downloads to Apple Watch.
Part 4. How to Put Tidal on Apple Watch for High-quality Offline Playback
In this part, you will learn how to play your Tidal downloaded music on Apple Watch without using the Tidal app. To do that, first, you need to upload Tidal music to iTunes Library and later sync it to your iPhone. Then, you should put it from iPhone to Apple Watch.
Section 1. How to Transfer Tidal Files to iPhone from iTunes Library
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer. Then open iTunes on desktop or the Music app on Mac OS.
Step 2. Click 'Music' > 'File' > 'Add Folder to Library' to select your converted Tidal music folder.
Step 3. Create a new playlist and put all your Tidal music in this new playlist.
Step 4. Tap your device on the top-right corner of iTunes, and go to 'Music' on the left menu bar.
Step 5. Check 'Sync Music' > 'Selected Playlists, artists, albums and genres'. Press the 'Apply' button to sync the Tidal playlist from the iTunes library to the iPhone. Then click the 'Done' option.
Section 2. How to Sync Tidal Music on Apple Watch from iPhone
Step 1. Open your iPhone, go to 'Settings' > 'Bluetooth' to pair your Apple Watch and phone.
Step 2. Please run the 'Apple Watch' app on your iPhone. On the 'My Watch' section, please scroll down to tap the 'Music' option. Then, hit 'Add Music' and go ahead to 'Playlist' to sync the Tidal playlist onto your Apple Watch.
Step 3. Next, you should tap the 'Sync' option to begin the process. Once the process is completed, you are all done and free to ditch your iPhone at home. At last, you can directly listen to Tidal music on Apple Watch and control Tidal from Apple Watch without phone and the Tidal app offline for free.
Part 5. FAQs about Tidal Apple Watch
To give you a clearer picture of Apple Watch Tidal, we've answered some frequently asked questions. You can get a quick overview.
Q1: Is Tidal on Apple Watch?
A: Yes, there is a Tidal app for Apple Watch. So, you can directly download the Tidal app to Apple Watch from the Watch's App Store. After that, you can play Tidal music on Apple Watch through the Tidal app.
Q2: What Can I Do with Tidal on Apple Watch?
A: You can play and control Tidal playback directly from your Apple Watch, without relying on your iPhone. You can also download Tidal music for offline listening. Plus, you'll always be able to listen to ad-free Tidal music.
Q3: Can Apple Watch Play Tidal Music without Phone?
A: Yes, once you install the Tidal app on Apple Watch, you can play and control Tidal directly from your Apple Watch, no phone required.
Q4: What Music Quality Does Tidal Offer on Apple Watch?
A: Tidal confirms that the music quality is limited to 96Kbps on wearable devices, including the Apple Watch. To play high-quality Tidal on Apple Watch, you can seek help from AudFree Tidal Music Downloader. It helps you download music from Tidal losslessly so you can play high-quality Tidal music offline on your Apple Watch.
Q5: What Music Apps Work with Apple Watch?
A: You can certainly use Apple Music on Apple Watch. In addition, you can use Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, YouTube Music and the rest on Apple Watch.
View also:
How to Listen to Apple Music on Apple Watch
How to Play Spotify on Apple Watch
Q6: How Can I Control Tidal from Apple Watch?
A: You can control Tidal music playback on Apple Watch, including play, skip, pause, adjust volume and so on.
Q7: How to Fix Tidal Not Working on Apple Watch?
A: You need to ensure your Apple Watch is Series 3 or above and running WatchOS 7.1 or higher. Besides, both your iPhone and Apple Watch need to be paired via Bluetooth. Also, check all the related app are updated to the latest versions. Or, you can try to restart your Apple Watch and iPhone, and reinstall the Tidal app on your watch.
View also: How to Solve Tidal Not Working
Part 6. In Conclusion
To use Tidal on Apple Watch, you can download and install the Tidal app directly to your watch. Then you can directly stream or download Tidal music for offline listening. Although this way is easy, the audio quality offered by Tidal to Apple Watch is limited to 96Kbps, which is lower than Tidal's typical streaming music quality.
So, if you value high music quality or want to enjoy Tidal songs freely, it is recommended to use the AudFree Tidal Downloader. With it, you can download Tidal music with original sound quality kept and play it offline without Tidal paid plans on your watch anytime and anywhere.

Miley Swift
Staff Editor