The fastest way to change your Apple Watch face
You can change your Apple Watch clock face in two ways: directly on the watch itself, or through the Watch app on your iPhone. The quickest method is on the watch—press and hold the current face, swipe left or right to browse available faces, tap the one you want, then press the Digital Crown (the knob on the side) to confirm. The whole process takes about 30 seconds once you know where to look.
If you prefer to browse and customize faces on a larger screen, you can do the same thing through the Watch app on your paired iPhone. Both methods sync when ready, so whichever way you choose, your watch updates right away.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold the current clock face on your watch screen to enter face-switching mode, then swipe left or right to see all available options.
- Tap any face to preview it, then press the Digital Crown (the side knob) to save your choice.
- You can also change faces through the Watch app on your iPhone by opening it, tapping the Clock tab, and selecting a new face.
- Any customizations you make—color, complications, style—are saved to that specific face and stay with it if you switch away and back.
- You can keep multiple faces installed and switch between them as often as you like without losing any settings.
Changing the face directly on your Apple Watch
Start by looking at your watch screen. Press and hold the clock face itself—not a button, but the actual display showing the time. Hold for about two seconds until the screen dims slightly and you see a row of dots at the bottom. This tells you that face-switching mode is active.
Once you're in this mode, swipe left or right across the screen to scroll through your installed faces. Each face appears as a preview. When you see one you want to use, tap it to select it. The face will enlarge and show you a preview of how it will look on your home screen.
To confirm your choice, press the Digital Crown—the round knob on the right side of your watch. If you change your mind before pressing the Crown, swipe back to a different face or swipe all the way left to return to your current face without making a change.
Changing the face through the Watch app on your iPhone
Open the Watch app on your iPhone—it's the app with a picture of an Apple Watch on it. Tap the "Clock" tab at the bottom of the screen. You'll see a list of all the clock faces currently installed on your watch.
Scroll through the list and tap the face you want to use. The app will show you a preview of that face and any customization options available for it, such as color, style, or which information (called "complications") appears on the face. Once you've made your choices, tap "Set as Current Watch Face" at the bottom. Your watch updates within a few seconds.
Customizing your clock face before you save it
Most Apple Watch faces let you change colors, styles, and the small pieces of information that appear on them (called complications). These might show weather, your next calendar event, activity rings, or battery percentage.
If you're changing the face on your watch, press and hold the current face, swipe to the face you want, then tap it. Swipe up or down on the preview to see customization options. Tap any option to change it—for example, tap a color swatch to pick a different color, or tap a complication slot to choose what information displays there. Once you're happy with how it looks, press the Digital Crown to save.
If you're using the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the face you want, then scroll down to see all customization options. Tap any option to change it. Your changes save automatically when you tap "Set as Current Watch Face."
Understanding complications and what they do
A complication is a small widget on your clock face that shows live information—the current temperature, your next meeting, how many steps you've taken, or the current date. Not every face supports complications, and some faces let you add more than others.
When you're customizing a face, you'll see empty slots or circles where you can add complications. Tap a slot, and your watch shows you which apps can fill that space. Choose the one you want, and that information appears on your face from then on. You can change or remove a complication at any time by pressing and holding the face again and tapping the slot.
Keeping multiple faces and switching between them
You don't have to choose just one face. You can install and keep as many faces as you want on your watch, each with its own colors and complications. When you press and hold your current face and swipe through the options, you're seeing all the faces you've set up.
Each face remembers its own settings. If you set the Modular face to show weather and activity rings, then switch to the straightforward face with a blue color, then switch back to Modular—it will still have weather and activity rings. You can swap between faces as many times a day as you like, and nothing gets lost.
To remove a face you no longer want, press and hold it in the face-switching view, then swipe down. You'll see a trash icon. Tap it to delete the face. You can always add it back later by going through the same process.
Troubleshooting when a face won't change
If you press and hold the clock face and nothing happens, make sure you're pressing on the actual display, not on the bezel (the ring around the edge). The bezel is used for scrolling, not for entering face-switching mode. Press directly on the time display itself and hold for two full seconds.
If the face changes on your watch but doesn't show up on your iPhone's Watch app, or vice versa, your devices may not be synced. Make sure your watch and iPhone are both connected to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and that they're within range of each other. Wait a minute or two, then check again. If the problem persists, restart both devices by powering them off and back on.
If you see a face in the Watch app on your iPhone but it doesn't appear when you press and hold your watch, the face may not be installed yet. Tap it in the Watch app and select "Add" or "Set as Current Watch Face" to install it to your watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create my own custom clock face?
Apple Watch does not let you design a completely custom face from scratch. However, you can heavily customize the built-in faces by changing colors, adding or removing complications, and choosing different styles or layouts. Some third-party apps also offer additional face designs that you can install through the Watch app on your iPhone.
What happens to my old face settings if I delete a face?
When you delete a face, all of its customizations (colors, complications, style choices) are deleted with it. If you add that face back later, it will return to its default settings. If you think you might want to use a face again, it's safer to just switch away from it rather than delete it.
Why do some faces have more customization options than others?
Different watch faces are designed differently. Some faces, like Modular or Infograph, are built to show lots of information and have many complication slots. Others, like straightforward or Minimal, are designed to be clean and uncluttered, so they have fewer customization options. Choose a face based on how much information you want to see at a glance.
Do I need to update my watch to change clock faces?
No. The ability to change clock faces is built into every Apple Watch and every version of watchOS. You don't need to update anything to use this feature. However, newer versions of watchOS sometimes add new faces or new customization options, so updating can give you more choices.
Can I set different faces for different times of day?
Apple Watch does not have a built-in scheduling feature for clock faces. You can only have one active face at a time. If you want to use different faces throughout the day, you'll need to change them manually by pressing and holding the current face and selecting a new one.