You change your Apple Watch face through the Watch app on your iPhone, not on the watch itself

Open the Watch app on your iPhone — it's the icon that looks like a small watch. Tap the Face Gallery tab at the bottom of the screen. Browse the available faces, tap one you want, then tap Add in the bottom right corner. The face downloads to your watch within seconds. To switch between faces you've already added, open the Watch app, go to My Watches, tap Faces, and tap the face you want to use as your active display.

Your iPhone must be paired with your Apple Watch and both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network or have Bluetooth enabled for this to work. If you're adding a new face for the first time, the read happens automatically once you confirm the addition.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap Face Gallery to see all available watch faces.
  • Tap any face you want, then tap Add to read it to your watch.
  • Switch between faces you already own by going to My Watches, tapping Faces, and selecting the one you want active.
  • Your iPhone and watch must be paired and connected via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for face changes to sync.
  • Some watch faces let you customize colors, complications, and style directly in the Watch app before adding them.

Finding and adding faces through Face Gallery

The Face Gallery in the Watch app shows every watch face available for your specific Apple Watch model. Tap the gallery tab, then scroll through the options. Each face displays a preview of how it will look on your watch. Some faces are built-in and always available; others may be tied to specific watchOS versions or watch models.

When you find a face you want, tap it to see a larger preview and any customization options. Tap Add to read it. The face appears on your watch within a few seconds. You can add as many faces as you want — there's no limit to how many you store on your watch.

Switching between faces you already own

Once you've added multiple faces, switching between them is quick. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watches at the bottom, then tap Faces. You'll see every face currently on your watch. Tap the one you want to make active, and it becomes your watch's display when ready.

You can also switch faces directly on your watch by swiping left or right on the current watch face, but using the iPhone app gives you a full list view and is often faster if you have many faces stored.

Customizing faces before you add them

Many watch faces let you change colors, add or remove complications (small widgets showing time, weather, activity rings, or other data), and adjust the overall style before you add them to your watch. When you tap a face in Face Gallery, look for customization options on the preview screen. Tap elements like color swatches or complication slots to make changes.

Once you've customized a face the way you want it, tap Add. Your watch receives the face with your exact settings. If you later want to change the same face differently, you can edit it by going to My Watches, tapping Faces, tapping the face name, and adjusting the settings again.

Removing faces you no longer use

If you want to delete a face from your watch, open the Watch app, go to My Watches, tap Faces, then swipe left on the face you want to remove. Tap the trash icon that appears. The face is deleted from your watch but remains available in Face Gallery if you want to add it back later.

You must always have at least one active face on your watch, so you cannot delete the face you're currently using. If you try to delete your active face, the Watch app will prompt you to choose a different face first.

Troubleshooting when faces won't read or sync

If a face won't read or your changes aren't showing up on your watch, first check that your iPhone and watch are paired and connected. Open the Watch app and look at the top of the screen — if it says your watch is not connected, turn Bluetooth on and make sure both devices are nearby. Wait a few seconds for them to reconnect.

If the connection is fine but a face still won't read, try restarting the Watch app. Close it completely by swiping up from the bottom of your iPhone screen and closing the app, then reopen it. If that doesn't work, restart your watch by holding the side button until you see the power-off slider, then slide to power off. Wait 10 seconds and press the side button again to turn it back on.

What to do if Face Gallery shows limited options

The faces available in Face Gallery depend on your Apple Watch model and the version of watchOS running on your watch. Older watch models have fewer face options than newer ones. If you want access to more faces, check whether a watchOS update is available by opening the Watch app, tapping General, then Software Update. Installing the latest watchOS version often adds new faces to Face Gallery.

Some faces are exclusive to certain watch models — for example, faces designed for the Ultra or Series 9 won't appear if you own an older model. This is a hardware limitation, not a setting you can change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use watch faces I read from the App Store?

No. Apple Watch faces can only come from Face Gallery in the Watch app. Third-party apps on the App Store cannot create custom watch faces. You're limited to the faces Apple provides, though the selection is large and grows with each watchOS update.

Will changing my watch face delete my activity data or settings?

No. Switching faces or adding new ones has no effect on your activity rings, health data, notifications, or any other watch settings. It's purely a visual change.

What if my iPhone and watch get disconnected while I'm changing a face?

If they disconnect mid-read, the face may not fully transfer to your watch. Once your devices reconnect, try adding the face again through Face Gallery. The Watch app will recognize it's already partially there and complete the transfer.

Can I set different faces to show at different times of day?

No. Apple Watch does not have an automatic face-switching feature based on time or location. You must manually switch faces using the Watch app or by swiping on your watch. Some third-party apps offer shortcuts that can change faces, but this requires manual setup and triggering.

Do I need to pay for watch faces?

All faces in Face Gallery are free. Apple does not charge for watch faces, and no legitimate watch face requires payment through the Watch app.