Your Apple Watch face is the first thing you see when you raise your wrist—and one of the easiest ways to personalize your device. Whether you want a cleaner look, more data at a glance, or something fun and expressive, Apple makes it simple to change and customize watch faces.
This guide walks you through how to change, customize, and manage Apple Watch faces step by step.
Why Customize Your Apple Watch Face?
Customizing your watch face lets you:
- See important information at a glance
- Match your watch to your outfit or activity
- Improve productivity and fitness tracking
- Make your Apple Watch feel truly personal
Method 1: Change Your Apple Watch Face on the Watch
This is the fastest way to switch faces.
- Wake your Apple Watch
- Press and hold the current watch face
- Swipe left or right to browse available faces
- Tap the face you want to use
✅ Done instantly—no iPhone needed.
Method 2: Add a New Watch Face on the Watch
- Press and hold the watch face
- Swipe all the way to the right
- Tap ➕ Add
- Scroll using the Digital Crown
- Tap a face, then tap Add
Method 3: Change or Add Watch Faces Using iPhone
The iPhone offers deeper customization.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone
- Tap Face Gallery
- Browse or search for a face
- Tap the face you want
- Customize colors, styles, and complications
- Tap Add
The face syncs automatically to your Apple Watch.
How to Customize an Apple Watch Face
On Apple Watch
- Press and hold the watch face
- Tap Edit
- Swipe left to adjust:
- Style
- Colors
- Complications
- Turn the Digital Crown to change options
- Tap the face when finished
On iPhone
- Open the Watch app
- Tap My Faces
- Select a watch face
- Customize colors, layout, and complications
- Changes apply instantly
What Are Complications?
Complications are small widgets on your watch face that show real‑time information.
Common complications include:
- Weather
- Battery level
- Calendar events
- Activity rings
- Heart rate
- Music controls
You can mix and match complications depending on the face design.
How to Remove a Watch Face
On Apple Watch
- Press and hold the watch face
- Swipe up on the face you want to delete
- Tap Remove
On iPhone
- Open the Watch app
- Tap My Faces
- Tap Edit
- Tap the red minus (–) icon
- Tap Remove
Tips for Choosing the Best Watch Face
- For productivity: Modular, Infograph, California
- For fitness: Activity, Nike faces
- For minimalism: Simple, Numerals Duo
- For photos: Photos or Portraits face
- For battery life: Simple faces with fewer complications
Can You Share Apple Watch Faces?
Yes! On newer versions of watchOS:
- Press and hold a watch face
- Tap Share
- Send via Messages, Mail, or AirDrop
Final Thoughts
Customizing your Apple Watch face is one of the easiest ways to improve your daily experience. With dozens of faces and thousands of complication combinations, you can create a setup that matches your lifestyle, whether you prioritize fitness, productivity, or style.
