Change your watch face in the Watch app or directly on your wrist
You can change your Apple Watch face in two ways: through the Watch app on your paired iPhone, or by swiping on the watch itself. The quickest method is usually swiping left or right on your current watch face to cycle through your saved faces, then tapping to select one. If you want more control or need to set up a new face first, the Watch app gives you access to all available faces and lets you customize them before they appear on your wrist.
Both methods sync instantly, so a face you add in the Watch app appears on your watch within seconds. You can have multiple faces saved and switch between them throughout the day — many people keep a simple face for workouts and a detailed one for checking notifications at a glance.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe left or right on your current watch face to preview saved faces, then tap to switch to one instantly.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the Faces tab, and select a face to customize it before adding it to your watch.
- You can customize most faces by changing colors, complications (small data displays), and background images before saving them.
- Faces sync between your iPhone and watch automatically, so changes made in the app appear on your wrist within seconds.
Swipe to switch between faces on your watch
The fastest way to change faces is directly on your wrist. Press and hold the current watch face until it enters edit mode — the screen will show a slight zoom effect and the face becomes interactive. Swipe left or right to move through your saved faces one at a time. Each face appears in full as you swipe.
Once you find the face you want, tap it to make it your active face. The watch returns to normal display mode and that face stays active until you change it again. This method works even when your iPhone is not nearby, since the faces are already stored on your watch.
Add or customize faces in the Watch app
Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the Faces tab at the bottom. You will see all available watch faces organized by type — Modular, Infograph, Chronograph, and others depending on your watch model. Tap any face to preview it and see customization options.
Most faces let you change the color or background image, and add complications — small widgets that show weather, activity rings, calendar events, or other data. Tap "Add" to save the customized face to your watch. It appears on your wrist within a few seconds and is immediately available when you swipe through faces.
Customize complications to show the information you need
Complications are the small data displays arranged around your watch face. They can show your activity progress, weather, next calendar event, battery percentage, or dozens of other data points depending on which apps you have installed. When you customize a face, you can tap each complication slot to choose what it displays.
Not every face supports the same number of complications. Simple faces like Solo Loop or Numerals have room for only one or two, while complex faces like Infograph have space for up to eight. Choose complications that match how you use your watch — if you run daily, add a workout app complication; if you travel frequently, add a world clock.
Delete faces you no longer use
In the Watch app, go to Faces and swipe left on any face you want to remove. Tap the trash icon that appears. The face disappears from your watch immediately. You can always add it back later by tapping "Add" on that same face in the Watch app.
You cannot delete all faces — your watch must have at least one active face at all times. If you try to delete your current face, the watch will prompt you to choose a different one first.
Reorder your faces to put favorites first
In the Watch app Faces tab, tap "Edit" in the upper left corner. Drag faces up or down to change the order they appear when you swipe on your watch. The face at the top of the list becomes your default face when you wake your watch. Tap "Done" when you finish reordering.
This is useful if you have a face you use most of the time — put it first so it is the one that appears when you raise your wrist. Faces you use less often can go lower in the list, so you swipe past fewer faces to reach them.
Troubleshoot if a new face does not appear on your watch
If you added a face in the Watch app but it is not showing on your wrist, first check that your iPhone and watch are still paired and connected. Open the Watch app and look at the top of the screen — it should show a green dot next to your watch name. If the dot is red or yellow, your devices are not connected; wait a few seconds and try again.
If they are connected, force-close the Watch app on your iPhone by swiping up from the bottom of the app switcher, then reopen it. Sometimes a face takes a few seconds to sync. If the face still does not appear after a minute, restart your watch by holding the side button until the power menu appears, then slide to power off. Wait 10 seconds and press the side button again to turn it back on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a photo from my iPhone as a watch face background?
Yes. In the Watch app, select the Photos face, then tap "Add". Choose which album the watch should pull from, and the face will cycle through those photos. You can also use the Portraits face if your iPhone has portrait mode photos.
What happens to my complications if I switch to a face that does not support them?
Complications are saved separately for each face. If you switch to a simpler face with fewer complication slots, your old complications stay saved on the original face. When you switch back, they reappear exactly as you left them.
Do I need my iPhone nearby to change watch faces?
No. You can swipe and tap to change faces directly on your watch anytime. Using the Watch app on your iPhone is optional and mainly useful if you want to customize a face before making it active.
Can I share a customized watch face with someone else?
Not directly through Apple Watch. You can describe the colors and complications you used, and the other person can recreate it in their Watch app, but there is no built-in sharing feature.