Change your watch face by swiping left or right from the current display

To switch Apple Watch clock faces, wake your watch by raising your wrist or tapping the screen. Press firmly on the watch face itself — not a button — until the screen shows editing options. Swipe left or right to browse available faces, then tap the one you want. That's it. The face changes when ready.

If you want to customize the face you've chosen — changing colors, adding complications (the small data windows that show time, weather, or activity rings), or adjusting complications you already have — stay in editing mode after selecting the face. Swipe up and down to see customization options, tap to change them, then press the Digital Crown (the knob on the side) or swipe up from the bottom to save and exit.

Key Takeaways

  • Press firmly on your current watch face to enter editing mode, then swipe left or right to choose a different face.
  • While editing, swipe up and down to access color, style, and complication options for the face you've selected.
  • Some watch faces come built in; others you can read from the App Store on your iPhone and then add to your watch.
  • You can create multiple versions of the same face with different colors or complications and switch between them by swiping.
  • If you delete a face by accident, you can restore it by going to the Watch app on your iPhone and selecting it again.

Built-in faces versus faces you read

Your Apple Watch comes with several clock faces already installed — Modular, Chronograph, Solar, Infograph, and others depending on your watch model and watchOS version. These are always available to customize and use. You don't need to do anything to access them.

Third-party watch faces come from apps you install on your iPhone. Open the App Store on your iPhone, search for a watch face app (many fitness and weather apps include faces), and install it. Once installed, go to the Watch app on your iPhone, scroll to the app name, and tap "Add Watch Face." The face then appears in your swipe-through rotation on the watch itself. You can also add faces directly from your watch by pressing firmly on the current face, swiping all the way to the right past all your existing faces, and tapping the plus sign to browse available options.

Organizing and deleting faces

If you have many watch faces, you can reorder them so your favorites appear first. Press firmly on any face in your rotation, swipe to the face you want to move, then press and hold it until a menu appears. Tap "Edit" and drag faces up or down in the list. Press the Digital Crown to save.

To remove a face you no longer use, press firmly on it in editing mode, swipe to that face, then swipe left. Tap the trash icon. The face disappears from your rotation but isn't permanently deleted — you can add it back anytime by going to the Watch app on your iPhone or by swiping to the plus sign on your watch and selecting it again.

Adding complications to show more information

Complications are small widgets on your watch face that display live data — your activity rings, current temperature, next calendar event, or heart rate. Not every face supports complications, and the number you can add depends on the face design. Modular and Infograph faces typically allow four to eight complications; simpler faces like Solar or Chronograph may allow only one or two.

To add a complication, press firmly on your watch face, swipe up and down to find the complications section, and tap the area where you want to add one. Swipe left and right to choose which app's data appears there, then tap to confirm. You can change which complication appears in each spot anytime by tapping that spot again while editing.

Syncing faces across multiple Apple Watches

If you own more than one Apple Watch, your watch faces sync automatically if both watches are paired to the same iPhone. When you add or customize a face on one watch, it appears on the other within a few minutes. If a face doesn't sync, make sure both watches are connected to the same Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth connection as your iPhone, and that they're both running the current watchOS version.

You can have different faces on each watch if you want — just delete a synced face from one watch and it won't affect the other. Faces sync by default, but you control what stays on each device.

Troubleshooting when faces won't change or customize

If pressing firmly on your watch face doesn't bring up editing options, your watch may be in theater mode or do not disturb. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to check — if you see a moon icon or theater masks, tap them to turn those modes off. Then try pressing firmly on the face again.

If a complication won't appear after you've added it, the app providing that complication may not be installed on your watch. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to the app's settings, and make sure "Show on Apple Watch" is turned on. Some complications also require you to grant the app permission to access your health data — check the Health app on your iPhone under "Data Access & Devices" to confirm permissions are set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a photo as my watch face?

Yes. Press firmly on your current face, swipe right to the plus sign, and tap "Photos." Select an album and a photo, then customize how the time appears over it. You can choose where the time sits and what color it displays in.

Why do some watch faces look different on my watch than in the preview?

Watch faces scale and adjust based on your watch model and screen size. A face designed for a 45mm watch may look different on a 41mm model. The preview in the Watch app on your iPhone shows the general design, but the actual appearance on your wrist is what matters.

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

No. Changing faces, customizing colors, and adding complications all work offline. You only need internet to read new watch face apps from the App Store on your iPhone.

What happens to my watch faces if I unpair my watch from my iPhone?

Your custom faces and complications stay on the watch itself. If you pair the watch to a different iPhone, those faces remain. Synced faces from apps may disappear if those apps aren't installed on the new iPhone.