The fastest way to change your watch face

Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the My Watch tab at the bottom, then tap Face Gallery. Choose a new face from the list, tap Add, and it appears on your watch immediately. If you want to switch between faces you already have, press and hold the watch face on your wrist, swipe left or right through your saved faces, and tap the one you want.

The method you use depends on whether you are adding a new face for the first time or just switching between ones you have already set up. Both take less than a minute.

Key Takeaways

  • You can add new watch faces through the Watch app on your iPhone by going to My Watch, then Face Gallery, then selecting and tapping Add.
  • To switch between faces you already own, press and hold the current face on your watch, then swipe left or right and tap the face you want.
  • Some watch faces let you customize the color, complications, and style before you add them, which you do in the Watch app before tapping Add.
  • Faces that came with your watch are always available to use again, even if you delete them from your watch.

Adding a new face through the Watch app on your iPhone

Start on your iPhone. Open the Watch app (the icon looks like a small watch). Tap the My Watch tab at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down and tap Face Gallery.

You will see a list of available faces. Tap the one you want. The screen shows a preview of what it looks like on your watch. Tap Add at the bottom right. The face is now on your watch and shows up in your face rotation.

If the face has customization options — like color choices or which information displays — you can change those before you tap Add. Tap Edit, make your changes, then tap Add.

Switching between faces you already have on your watch

Press and hold the watch face that is currently showing on your wrist. The screen will dim slightly and show a row of small previews of your other faces at the bottom.

Swipe left or right through the previews until you see the face you want. Tap it. That face is now your active watch face.

You can also swipe left or right on the watch face itself without pressing and holding first — this cycles through your faces quickly if you just want to browse.

Customizing a face before you add it

Many watch faces let you change the color, add or remove complications (the small widgets that show time, weather, activity rings, or other data), and adjust the style or layout. You make these changes in the Watch app on your iPhone before you add the face to your watch.

In Face Gallery, tap the face you want. Tap Edit. Change the color by tapping the color circles at the bottom. Add or remove complications by tapping the areas where they appear in the preview. Some faces also have a Style option that changes the overall look.

Once you are happy with how it looks, tap Add. Your customized face goes to your watch with all your choices saved.

Removing a face from your watch

Press and hold the face you want to remove. Swipe left on the preview at the bottom. Tap the trash icon. The face is deleted from your watch.

Deleting a face does not remove it permanently. You can add it back anytime through Face Gallery in the Watch app. Built-in faces that came with your watch are always available to re-add.

Faces that require a paid subscription or app

Some watch faces are part of paid apps or subscriptions. If you see a face in Face Gallery that says "Get" or shows a price, you need to purchase or subscribe to use it. Tap the price, complete the purchase on your iPhone, and the face becomes available to add.

If you cancel a subscription or delete an app, faces that came with it stop working on your watch. You can still use any other faces you have set up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have multiple watch faces and switch between them?

Yes. You can have as many faces as you want on your watch. Press and hold the current face and swipe through the previews to pick a different one. This is useful if you want a simple face for work and a more detailed one for workouts.

Why is a face I want not showing up in Face Gallery?

Some faces are only available on newer watch models. If your watch is older, certain faces may not be compatible. Check your watch model in the Watch app under General, then About. You can also update your watchOS to the latest version, which sometimes adds new faces.

Can I undo a face I just deleted?

Yes. Open the Watch app, go to Face Gallery, find the face you deleted, and tap Add again. All your customization settings are gone, so you will need to set the color and complications again if you want them the same way.

Do I need to use the iPhone app to change faces, or can I do it only on the watch?

You can switch between faces you already have directly on your watch by pressing and holding and swiping. To add new faces for the first time, you must use the Watch app on your iPhone. You cannot browse Face Gallery from the watch itself.