The quickest way to change your watch face

Press and hold the watch face on your screen until it enters edit mode — you'll see a dotted border appear around the edge. Swipe left or right to move through your saved watch faces, or tap the plus sign (+) to add a new one from Apple's library. When you find the face you want, release your finger and press the Digital Crown (the knob on the side) to exit edit mode.

That's the method most people use because it's the fastest. But there are other ways to change your face depending on where you are and what you're doing — some people prefer using their iPhone, others want to customize a face before making it active, and some need to manage multiple faces at once.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold your current watch face, swipe to find another, and press the Digital Crown to confirm — this takes about 10 seconds.
  • You can also open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Clock, and tap any face to make it active on your wrist.
  • New watch faces can be added by tapping the plus sign during edit mode, or by downloading them from the App Store through your iPhone.
  • You can customize colors, complications, and style before activating a face, so you don't have to settle for the default look.
  • If you have multiple Apple Watches, each one stores its own set of faces — changing a face on one watch doesn't affect the others.

Changing your face directly on the watch

This is the method to use when you're wearing your watch and want to switch faces right now. Press and hold anywhere on the watch face — not a button, just the screen itself. After about a second, the screen will show a dotted border and dim slightly, which means you're in edit mode.

Once you're in edit mode, swipe left or right across the screen to move through your existing faces. Each swipe shows you the next face in your collection. When you see the one you want, stop swiping and just wait — or press the Digital Crown to lock it in immediately. The face becomes active as soon as you exit edit mode.

If you want to add a brand new face instead of switching to an existing one, look for the plus sign (+) button that appears at the end of your face list. Tap it to see Apple's full library of available watch faces, choose one, customize it if you want, and then press the Digital Crown to save it and make it active.

Changing your face through the iPhone Watch app

Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the Clock tab at the bottom of the screen. You'll see a list of all your saved watch faces with small preview images. Tap any face in the list to make it active on your wrist — the change happens instantly, even if your watch is across the room.

This method is useful if you're not wearing your watch, if you want to browse faces on a bigger screen, or if you're setting up a new watch face and want to see how it looks before committing to it. The iPhone app also shows you which face is currently active (it will have a checkmark next to it).

Adding new watch faces from the App Store

Apple's built-in watch faces come with your device, but some third-party apps also offer custom faces. Open the App Store on your iPhone, search for "watch faces," and browse the options. When you find one you want, tap Get, then confirm with Face ID or your Apple ID password.

Once the app is installed, open it on your iPhone and look for an option to add the face to your watch — this is usually a button labeled "Add to Watch" or similar. The face will then appear in your watch face list, and you can activate it the same way you would any other face. Not all apps offer watch faces, so check the app description before downloading.

Customizing a watch face before you activate it

You don't have to use a watch face exactly as it comes. When you're in edit mode on your watch (press and hold the current face), you can customize the active face by swiping up or down to access its settings. Depending on the face, you might be able to change the color, adjust which complications appear (the small widgets that show time, weather, activity rings, etc.), or modify the style or layout.

If you're adding a new face, you can customize it before pressing the Digital Crown to save it. This means you can try different color combinations and see which one you like before making it your active face. You can also customize a face after it's active — just press and hold it again and adjust the settings.

Through the iPhone Watch app, you can also customize faces before activating them. Tap a face in the list, then tap Edit to change colors and complications. When you're done, tap Save, and those changes will sync to your watch.

Managing multiple watch faces

You can have as many watch faces saved as you want — there's no limit. They all appear in your swipe-through list when you press and hold the current face. To remove a face you no longer want, press and hold the current face to enter edit mode, swipe to the face you want to delete, swipe left on it, and tap the trash icon.

If you have more than one Apple Watch, each watch maintains its own separate list of faces. Changing a face on your Series 9 doesn't affect your Series 8, for example. However, if you have the same app installed on both watches, you can customize the same watch face differently on each device.

Troubleshooting common issues

If pressing and holding the watch face doesn't enter edit mode, make sure you're pressing on the actual watch face display, not on a physical button. Also check that your watch is running the current version of watchOS — go to the Watch app on your iPhone, tap General, then Software Update to check for updates.

If a new watch face you added isn't showing up in your face list, try restarting your watch. Press and hold the side button until you see the power-off slider, swipe it to turn off the watch, wait a few seconds, then press and hold the side button again to turn it back on. If you added the face through an app, make sure the app is installed on your watch as well as your iPhone — open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to App Store, and check that the app shows as installed.

If you're trying to add a face from the App Store and the option isn't available, the app may not support watch faces. Check the app's description in the App Store to confirm it offers this feature before downloading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different watch faces for different times of day?

Apple Watch does not have an automatic scheduling feature for watch faces. You have to manually switch between them. However, some third-party apps offer watch faces that change their appearance based on the time of day or other conditions — check the App Store for options.

What happens to my watch face if I update watchOS?

Your saved watch faces and their customizations stay on your watch after a watchOS update. You won't lose any faces or settings. However, if a major update changes how a particular face works, you may need to re-customize it to match your preferences.

Can I use the same watch face on my iPhone?

No. Watch faces are designed only for Apple Watch and cannot be displayed on your iPhone. Your iPhone shows a preview of the face in the Watch app, but you can't make it your iPhone lock screen or home screen background.

Why can't I find a watch face I used to have?

If you deleted a face, it won't reappear unless you add it again. If it came from an app and you uninstalled the app, the face will be removed from your watch. To restore it, reinstall the app on your iPhone and add the face again through the app or the Watch app.

Do I need an internet connection to change my watch face?

No. Switching between existing watch faces works without any connection. However, if you're adding a new face from the App Store or syncing faces from your iPhone to your watch, you'll need your watch to be connected to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to your iPhone.