The fastest way to switch your watch face

Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the My Watch tab at the bottom, then tap Clock Face. Scroll through the gallery, select the face you want, and tap Set as Current Watch Face. The change appears on your wrist within seconds.

You can also change faces directly on the watch itself by swiping left or right on the current clock face until you see the one you want, then pressing firmly (or long-pressing) to enter edit mode. Tap the checkmark to confirm. Both methods work equally well — the iPhone app gives you a bigger preview of each option, while the watch method is faster if you already know which face you prefer.

Key Takeaways

  • The Watch app on your iPhone shows all available clock faces in a scrollable gallery with large previews of each one.
  • You can change faces directly on your watch by swiping left or right on the current face, then long-pressing to edit.
  • Some clock faces let you customize colors, complications (small data displays), and other details before you set them as current.
  • Your iPhone and watch stay in sync, so a face you set on your phone appears on your wrist when ready.

Changing faces through the Watch app on your iPhone

Launch the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the My Watch tab. Scroll down and tap Clock Face. You will see a grid of all the clock faces available on your watch model — the number varies depending on your watchOS version and which faces Apple has included.

Tap any face to see a full-screen preview. Swipe left and right within that preview to see how the face looks with different color schemes or complications (the small boxes showing weather, heart rate, calendar events, or other data). Once you have found the look you want, tap Set as Current Watch Face at the bottom of the screen. The face switches on your watch within a few seconds.

Changing faces directly on your Apple Watch

Press the Digital Crown (the knob on the side of your watch) to go to the home screen, then open the Clock app. Swipe left or right across the current clock face to scroll through your available faces. When you see the one you want, long-press it (press and hold for about a second) to enter edit mode.

The face will show a checkmark and an X. Tap the checkmark to set it as your current face, or tap the X to skip it. If you want to customize the face before setting it — changing colors or adding complications — tap the face itself (not the checkmark) to open the customization screen, make your changes, then tap the checkmark.

Adding complications to your clock face

A complication is a small widget on your clock face that shows live data — weather, your next calendar event, activity rings, heart rate, or dozens of other options. Most clock faces let you add one or more complications, though some minimal faces do not support them.

To add a complication, long-press your current clock face on the watch to enter edit mode, then tap the face itself to customize it. Tap any empty complication slot (usually marked with a plus sign or a blank circle), then scroll through the available apps and select the data you want to display. Tap the checkmark when you are done. On the iPhone Watch app, you can also add complications by tapping a clock face in the gallery, tapping Edit, and then tapping the complication slots.

Removing clock faces you do not use

If you have added many clock faces and want to clean up your rotation, you can delete the ones you do not wear. On your iPhone, open the Watch app, tap My Watch, then Clock Face. Swipe left on any face in the list and tap Delete. On your watch, long-press a face you want to remove and tap the X instead of the checkmark.

Deleting a face does not remove it from Apple's library — you can add it back anytime by going through the same steps. Your current face cannot be deleted; if you try to delete the face you are wearing, the watch will prompt you to set a different face first.

Clock faces that require watchOS updates

Some clock faces are only available on newer versions of watchOS. If you see a face in the Watch app on your iPhone but it does not appear on your watch, check whether a watchOS update is pending. Go to the Watch app, tap General, then Software Update. If an update is available, connect your watch to power and keep it near your iPhone while the update installs.

After the update finishes, the new clock faces will appear in your gallery. This usually takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on the file size and your internet speed. Do not disconnect your watch or move it out of range during the update.

Troubleshooting when faces do not appear or sync

If a clock face you set on your iPhone does not show up on your watch, try restarting both devices. On your iPhone, hold the side button and volume button, then slide to power off. On your watch, hold the side button until you see the power-off slider, then slide to power off. Wait 30 seconds, then turn both back on and wait for them to reconnect.

If a face still will not sync, unpair your watch from your iPhone and set it up again. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap General, then About, scroll to the bottom, and tap Unpair Apple Watch. After unpairing, hold your watch near your iPhone and follow the setup prompts. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes and will restore your clock faces and other settings from your iPhone backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a photo as my clock face?

Yes. The Photos clock face lets you display any image from your iPhone's photo library. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap Clock Face, select Photos, then tap Set as Current Watch Face. Tap Edit to choose which photo appears and where the time displays on top of it.

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

The preview on your iPhone shows the face at full resolution, but your watch screen is smaller and may render colors or details slightly differently depending on lighting and the angle you are viewing it from. This is normal and does not mean anything is wrong with your watch.

Can I have multiple clock faces and switch between them?

Yes. You can add as many clock faces as you want and swipe between them on your watch. Only one is your "current" face — the one that appears when you wake your watch — but you can rotate through others by swiping left or right on the clock screen.

Do I need to pay for additional clock faces?

No. All clock faces built into watchOS are free. Some third-party apps offer their own clock faces, which may be free or paid, but the standard Apple collection requires no purchase.

What happens to my clock face if I update watchOS?

Your current clock face stays the same after a watchOS update. New faces may become available, but your existing setup is not affected. If you were using a face that is no longer supported in the new version, your watch will automatically switch to a compatible face and notify you.