Customize Apple Watch Faces: Full Guide

Yes, you can customize Apple Watch faces directly on the watch or in the Watch app on your iPhone. You can change the watch face style, complications (the small widgets), colors, and even create multiple faces for different situations. This guide covers every customization option, how to build your own face, common problems, and answers to frequent questions.

Background: How Watch Faces Work

Since watchOS 7, Apple has allowed you to have multiple watch faces stored on your watch and switch between them with a swipe. Each face is a combination of a design (like Modular, Infograph, or Solar Dial) and complications—small informational widgets that show weather, calendar events, activity rings, or third-party app data. Apple periodically adds new faces with major watchOS updates, and some faces are exclusive to certain hardware (e.g., the Solar Dial face is available on Series 3 and later). You can also share custom faces with others via Messages or AirDrop, but only if the recipient’s watch supports all the complications and features used.

How to Customize on the Watch Itself

You can edit the current face directly on the watch:

Press and hold the center of the watch face (or press firmly on older models) until the face enters edit mode.
Swipe left or right to choose a different face, or tap Edit to modify the current one.
Use the Digital Crown to scroll through options like color, complications, and style. Tap a section (e.g., the top complication slot) to select it, then scroll to change its value.
Press the Digital Crown to save your changes.

To add a new face: swipe all the way to the right on the watch face to reach the New button, then choose a face from the gallery. You can also create a new face from the Watch app on your iPhone.

How to Customize in the Watch App on iPhone

The Watch app gives you a larger interface and more control:

Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap the Face Gallery tab at the bottom.
Browse through categories like “Color,” “Modular,” “Photos,” or “Pride.” Tap a face to see its options.
Choose your preferred style, color, and complications. For the Photos face, you can select a specific album or choose up to 24 photos.
Tap Add to add the face to your watch. The face appears immediately on your watch.

You can also manage existing faces: go to the My Faces section in the Watch app to reorder, delete, or duplicate faces. Duplicating is handy when you want a similar face with different complications (e.g., one for work, one for workouts).

How to Choose the Right Face and Complications

Choosing a face depends on what you want to see at a glance. Here are common scenarios:

Fitness: Use the Modular or Infograph face with complications for Activity, Workout, Heart Rate, and Weather.
Minimalist: The X-Large or Numerals face shows only the time, perfect for a clean look.
Travel: The World Time face shows time zones, and you can add a complication for your next flight or a currency converter.
Photos: The Photos face displays your favorite pictures, with optional complications at the top or bottom.
Battery life: Some faces with many complications and animations (like the Toy Story face) can drain battery faster. The Solar Dial or Modular with limited complications are more efficient.

Complications come in different sizes: small circular, large rectangular, and corner slots. Not every face supports all sizes. Check the face’s preview in the Face Gallery to see which slots are available.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Here are typical issues users encounter:

Face won’t change: Make sure you’re pressing and holding the center of the screen, not the side button. On older models, a firm press may be required.
Complications not updating: Some complications (like Weather) update on a schedule. Force-quit the app on your iPhone and reopen it, or restart the watch.
Face missing after update: If a face disappears after a watchOS update, it may be because a complication is no longer compatible. Try removing the problematic complication in the Watch app.
Third-party complications not showing: The app must be installed on your watch and support complications. Check the app’s settings on your iPhone.
Shared face won’t install: The face may require a complication from an app you don’t have. The Watch app will prompt you to install it; if it’s a paid app, you’ll need to purchase it.

Comparing Customization Options: Watch vs. iPhone

Both methods have advantages. On the watch, you can quickly tweak the current face without picking up your phone, but the small screen makes it tedious to scroll through many options. The Watch app on iPhone offers a larger preview, easier text input, and the ability to browse the entire face gallery. For most users, the iPhone app is better for initial setup, while the watch is convenient for minor changes like switching a complication. One limitation: some faces (like “Portraits” or “Astronomy”) have unique features that can only be set up on the iPhone.

Costs and Safety

Customizing watch faces is free—all faces and complications are included with watchOS. However, some third-party apps that provide complications may require a subscription or one-time purchase. For example, a weather app might offer a premium complication with more details. Always check the app’s pricing before installing. There are no safety concerns with changing watch faces; it’s purely cosmetic. However, be cautious when using third-party apps that request health data—review the permissions you grant.

Alternatives to Apple’s Built-in Faces

If you want even more customization, consider these options:

Clockology: A third-party app that lets you create fully custom faces with your own designs, but it requires a workaround (running the app as a “face” with a timer) and may not be as reliable as native faces.
Facer: Another app with a large library of user-created faces, but it also uses a similar workaround.
Photos face: You can use your own images as a background, effectively creating a custom face with limited complications.
Shortcuts: Use the Shortcuts app to create a face that changes based on time or location, but this is more about automation than visual design.

Note that these third-party solutions are not officially supported by Apple and may stop working after a watchOS update. For most users, the built-in faces offer plenty of variety.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a completely custom watch face from scratch?

No, Apple doesn’t allow you to design a face from a blank canvas. You must choose a base face from the gallery and then customize its colors, complications, and in some cases, background images (like with the Photos face). Third-party apps like Clockology offer more freedom but are not native and have limitations.

Why can’t I change the color of some watch faces?

Some faces (like the Activity or Breathe faces) have a fixed design and don’t offer color options. Others, like Modular, allow you to change the accent color. Check the face’s options in the Watch app—if there’s no color picker, that face doesn’t support it.

How do I delete a watch face I no longer want?

On the watch, press and hold the face, swipe up on the face you want to delete, and tap the trash icon. On the iPhone, go to the Watch app > My Faces, swipe left on the face you want to remove, and tap Delete.

Can I share my custom watch face with someone?

Yes, you can share a face via Messages, Mail, or AirDrop. On the watch, press and hold the face, tap the share icon, and choose a method. The recipient must have a compatible watch and the necessary apps installed.

Will customizing my watch face affect battery life?

Yes, faces with many complications, especially those that update frequently (like weather or stock), can drain battery faster. Animated faces (like Toy Story) also use more power. If you notice shorter battery life, try a simpler face or reduce the number of complications.

Can I change the watch face with a Siri command?

No, Siri cannot change your watch face directly. However, you can create a Shortcut that changes the face, but that requires setting up the shortcut and using Siri to run it. There’s no built-in Siri command to switch faces.

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