The quickest way to change your watch face
Press and hold the current watch face on your Apple Watch screen until it enters edit mode — you'll see a small menu appear at the bottom. Swipe left to see your saved faces, or swipe right to add a new one. Tap the plus sign to browse the full library of available faces, select one, customize it if you want, then tap "Set as Active" to make it your home screen.
The whole process takes about 30 seconds. You can also change your face from the Watch app on your paired iPhone, though the watch itself is faster once you know the steps.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold your current watch face to enter edit mode, then swipe to add or switch between faces.
- You can customize colors, complications, and style before setting a face as active.
- The Watch app on your iPhone lets you manage faces from your phone if you prefer, though the watch method is quicker.
- Different watch models support different face options, so some faces may not appear on older watches.
- You can save multiple faces and switch between them instantly without losing your customizations.
Changing your face directly on the watch
Start by looking at your current watch face. Press and hold the screen — not a tap, but a firm press that lasts about a second. The face will dim slightly and a menu will appear at the bottom showing dots or small icons representing your saved faces.
Swipe left and right across the bottom menu to browse faces you've already set up. When you find the one you want, tap it and it becomes active immediately. If you want to add a new face instead, swipe all the way to the right until you see a plus sign, then tap it.
After you tap the plus sign, you'll see a grid of available watch faces. Scroll through and tap the one you want. The watch will show you a preview and let you customize it — you can usually change the color, add complications (small widgets showing time, weather, activity rings), and adjust other settings. Once you're happy with it, tap "Set as Active" or a checkmark button, depending on your watch model.
Changing your face from the iPhone Watch app
Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone and tap the "Watch Face Gallery" tab at the bottom. You'll see all available faces organized by type. Tap any face to preview it and customize the colors and complications.
Once you've set it up the way you want, tap "Add" or "Set as Active" (the button name varies by watchOS version). The face will sync to your watch within a few seconds. This method is useful if you want to browse all options on a larger screen or if your watch screen is hard to see, but it requires your phone nearby and takes slightly longer than changing directly on the watch.
Customizing complications and colors
Most watch faces let you add complications — small displays that show weather, calendar events, activity rings, heart rate, or other information. When you're in edit mode on your watch, look for areas on the face marked with a plus sign or labeled "Add Complication." Tap one of these spots and scroll through the available options, then tap the one you want.
Colors work the same way. Look for a color wheel or color options in the customization screen. Tap a color to change how the face looks. Some faces let you change the dial color, the text color, or the background — it depends on the face design. Your changes save automatically once you set the face as active.
If you change your mind later, you can go back into edit mode, tap the face you want to adjust, and modify it again. Your customizations stay saved even if you switch to a different face and come back.
Faces that work on different Apple Watch models
Newer watch faces only work on certain models. If you have an Apple Watch Series 3 or older, you won't see some of the faces available on Series 4 and newer. When you browse faces on your watch, you'll only see the ones compatible with your model, so you don't have to worry about picking something that won't work.
If you're browsing faces in the iPhone Watch app and see a face you like but it doesn't appear on your watch, that's why — your watch model doesn't support it. The app will usually show a small note or icon indicating compatibility, though it's not always obvious.
Managing multiple saved faces
You can save as many watch faces as you want. Each one keeps its own customizations — if you set up a "Workout" face with activity rings and a "Work" face with calendar events, both stay exactly as you configured them. When you press and hold your current face, you'll see all your saved faces in the bottom menu.
To delete a face you no longer want, press and hold your current face, swipe to the face you want to remove, then swipe up on it. A trash icon will appear — tap it to delete. The face is gone, but you can always add it back later if you change your mind. Deleting a face doesn't affect any of your other saved faces or their settings.
Troubleshooting when faces won't appear or change
If you press and hold your watch face and nothing happens, make sure you're pressing firmly enough and holding for at least one full second. A light tap won't trigger edit mode. Also check that your watch isn't in Theater Mode (a crescent moon icon in Control Center means it's on) — some features don't work in that mode.
If a face you want doesn't show up in your library, restart your watch by holding the side button until you see the power-off slider, then swipe to turn it off. Wait 10 seconds and hold the side button again to turn it back on. After the restart, open the face gallery again and the missing face should appear.
If changes you make on your iPhone Watch app aren't showing up on your watch, make sure Bluetooth is on and your watch is in range of your phone. Open the Watch app, go to General, and check that your watchOS is up to date. Sometimes a restart of both devices fixes sync problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use watch faces from third-party apps?
No. Apple Watch faces come only from Apple's built-in library. Third-party apps can add complications (small widgets) to your existing faces, but they can't create entirely new watch face designs. You're limited to the faces Apple provides, though the library is large and grows with each watchOS update.
What happens to my customizations if I delete a face?
They're gone. If you delete a face with custom colors and complications, those settings don't save anywhere. You can add the face back later, but you'll have to customize it from scratch. If you think you might want a face again, it's safer to just leave it in your library even if you're not using it.
Do I need my iPhone to change watch faces?
No. You can change faces directly on your watch without your phone nearby. The iPhone Watch app is optional and mainly useful for browsing on a bigger screen or managing faces when your watch isn't with you. Most people find it faster to change faces right on the watch.
Why do some faces look different on my watch than in the preview?
The preview on your iPhone shows the face at full resolution, but your watch screen is smaller and the colors may render slightly differently depending on lighting. Once you set a face as active and see it on your wrist in different lighting, you'll get a better sense of how it actually looks. You can always go back and adjust colors if you don't like it.
Can I set different faces for different times of day?
Not automatically. You have to manually switch your face each time. Some people save multiple faces and switch between them depending on what they're doing (a workout face during exercise, a work face during the day), but there's no scheduling feature that changes faces on a timer.