Apple watchOS 9 removing 'Now Playing' icon puzzling to some Watch users

Apple watchOS 9 now lets users enjoy a variety of new features like an enhanced Workout app, more information from the Sleep app and a brand-new Medications app.

However, there are also some changes that many find unsettling like the changed position of the ‘Now Playing’ icon.

Unfortunately, users can no longer see this automatic icon on top of the latest watchOS 9 while playing music. What’s more troublesome is the fact that there is no way to get that feature back on.

Apple watchOS 9 removed ‘Now Playing’ icon

The removal of the ‘Now Playing’ icon from Apple watchOS 9 has left many users (1,2,3,4,5,6) confused and annoyed.

After updating to watchOS9, the Now Playing App not showing at the centre of the watch when music is playing on the iPhone.
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Is it worth it to update my watch to Watchos 9? I’ve been hearing a lot about bugs and unpleasant changes like the removal of “now playing”.
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Now Playing icon no longer showing up at top when music is playing in watchOS 9. Does anyone know how to get the now playing icon back at the top of the screen when audio is playing on the phone? This was a feature in previous versions of watchOS.
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In the previous watchOS versions, the ‘Now Playing’ icon would appear at the top of the screen while listening to music or podcasts. However, Apple decided to remove the icon from watchOS 9 and now the app that is playing audio appears at the top of the Dock.

Some users find it extremely confusing to navigate and control iPhone volume from their Apple Watch in the absence of the icon on the Home Screen.

Moreover, the placement of the ‘Now Playing’ icon in the Dock makes it difficult to control music through their Apple Watch. It sometimes stops the music and other times starts to play a different song altogether.

For me it’s been incredibly buggy and confusing… it often doesn’t work at all (Watch and iPhone out of sync or whatever), and the Watch will show a different song versus my iPhone. Sometimes just opening Now Playing results in either stopping the music i was playing, or starting to play something different.
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So far, Apple hasn’t really said anything about users’ discontentment with the removed ‘Now Playing’ icon on watchOS 9.

We’ll keep tabs on further developments on the issue at hand and update the article as and when something noteworthy comes up.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Apple section, so make sure to follow them as well.

Featured image source: Apple

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