New Pandora app lets you stream music to Apple Watch & AirPods without iPhone

Pandora now allows listeners to stream music and podcasts on their Apple Watch —without needing an iPhone.

The Pandora app for Apple Watch is now officially a standalone app after a new update that went live on February 13.

Pandora's official update reads, "Leave the phone at home and bring all of your listening with you thanks to our updated Apple Watch app. Now you can stream your favorite music and podcasts, straight from your wrist - no phone required."

Other services, like Apple Music, need users to pre-load music on an Apple Watch for a run or other exercise, when the iPhone isn't in range. The feature requires the watch in question to be running watchOS 6 or greater.

In 2019, Pandora redesigned their Apple Watch app with offline playback support. They also overhauled their macOS app for its radio streams and on-demand music, taking advantage of newer tech including station Modes.