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Apple introduced two new watch faces with Apple Watch Series 10: Flux and Reflections. They arrived with watchOS 11 and were made available to compatible older watches too, so neither face is a Series 10 exclusive. Series 10’s important advantage was its display: selected always-on faces could refresh once per second, making their animation visible while your wrist was down.
Flux: a color-filling, graphic face
Flux uses a bold graphic treatment in which color advances across the display second by second. Apple positioned it as a face designed for Series 10’s larger screen and faster always-on behavior, rather than as a conventional information-dense dial. See Apple’s launch description at Apple Newsroom.
Its main appeal is visual: the passage of time becomes an animation. That makes Flux a better choice for someone who wants a modern, expressive watch than for someone who needs the maximum number of complications at a glance. The exact appearance and available customization can vary by watchOS version, case size and device.
Who should choose Flux?
- Readers who prefer a graphic, contemporary design.
- Users who want visible time-based motion on the face.
- Owners who value the larger Series 10 display more than a highly configurable data layout.
The trade-off is information density: a Modular-style face remains more practical when weather, calendar, activity and other complications are the priority.
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![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Reflections: a shimmering, movement-responsive dial
Reflections is a minimalist face with a shimmering dial that reacts subtly as you move your wrist. Apple designed it to complement the reflective appearance of Series 10’s polished titanium cases, making it the more jewelry-like of the two faces. Apple’s description is in the same Series 10 announcement.
Reflections is primarily decorative rather than productivity-focused. Secondary coverage has described fullscreen and circular presentations, with the circular version associated with complication support; those options are version-specific and should be checked in the current Face Gallery. A fullscreen layout can look cleaner but leaves less room for information.
Who should choose Reflections?
- Users who want a restrained, premium-looking face.
- Owners matching the watch to polished metal or formal clothing.
- Anyone who prefers subtle motion to Flux’s stronger color progression.
Are Flux and Reflections exclusive to Series 10?
No. Although Apple revealed both faces alongside Series 10, they were included in watchOS 11 for Apple Watch Series 6 and later. watchOS 11 requires an iPhone XS or later running iOS 18, and Apple notes that features can vary by device and region. The compatibility announcement is documented at Apple Newsroom.
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- Can the face be installed? Compatible watchOS 11 devices can receive Flux and Reflections.
- Does it animate identically while always on? Not necessarily. At launch, Series 10 hardware provided the most distinctive always-on presentation.
Older compatible watches could use the faces, but it is too broad to promise the same continuously changing animation on every model.
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![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Why Series 10 showed them off better at launch
Series 10 introduced a wide-angle OLED display that Apple said could be up to 40% brighter than Series 9 when viewed at an angle. More importantly for these faces, Apple said its power efficiency allowed selected always-on content to refresh once per second instead of once per minute. That specification appears in Apple’s Series 10 announcement.
“Always on” and “refresh rate” are different concepts. Always-on mode keeps a dimmed version of the face visible; refresh rate describes how often that displayed content can change. Series 10 could therefore show more of Flux’s progression and Reflections’ motion without requiring you to raise your wrist. During normal active viewing, the watch wakes at full brightness when you look at it, regardless of whether the face is Flux or Reflections.
What about the Photos face?
Apple’s watchOS 11 announcement discusses three new or substantially new face experiences: Flux, Reflections and a redesigned Photos face. The “two new watch faces for Series 10” wording refers specifically to the two newly revealed designs, Flux and Reflections. Photos was an existing face receiving a major redesign, not a third wholly new Series 10 design.
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The redesigned Photos face can use machine learning to recommend images based on aesthetics, composition and facial expressions, optimize the subject’s position, add a sense of depth and use Dynamic mode to show a new image when you raise your wrist. Details are in Apple’s watchOS 11 release announcement.
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![Apple Watch Series 10 [GPS 46mm case] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Fitness Tracker, ECG App, Always-On Retina Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Cud2WnszL._SL160_.jpg)
- WHY APPLE WATCH SERIES 10 — Bigger display with up to 30 percent more screen area.* A thinner, lighter, and more comfortable design.* Advanced health and fitness features provide invaluable insights.* Safety features connect you to help when you need it.* Faster charging gives you 80 percent battery in about 30 minutes.*
- ADVANCED HEALTH INSIGHTS — Take an ECG anytime.* Get notifications if you have high or low heart rate or an irregular heart rhythm.* Understand your menstrual cycle and get retrospective ovulation estimates.* See overnight health metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, and more with the Vitals app.* Track sleep and get notifications if Apple Watch detects signs of sleep apnea.*
- A POWERFUL FITNESS PARTNER — Measure all the ways you move with Activity Rings, which are customizable to match your lifestyle. Get advanced metrics for a range of workouts with the Workout app. Track the intensity of your workouts with training load. Use depth and water temperature sensors for your aquatic adventures. And Apple Watch comes with three months of Apple Fitness+ free.*
- STAY CONNECTED — Send a text, take a call, listen to music and podcasts, use Siri, and get notifications on the go. Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS) works with your iPhone or Wi-Fi to keep you connected.
- INNOVATIVE SAFETY FEATURES — Fall Detection and Crash Detection can connect you with emergency services in the event of a hard fall or a severe car crash. Emergency SOS lets you call for help with the press of a button.* Check In automatically notifies a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.*
How to add Flux or Reflections
On a paired iPhone, the usual Apple Watch app route is:
- Open the Watch app.
- Tap Face Gallery.
- Select Flux or Reflections.
- Choose the available style, colors and complications.
- Tap Add to place the face on your watch.
You can also add or switch faces from the watch itself through the face-selection interface. Labels, complication slots and style choices can differ by watchOS release, watch size and face configuration, so use the options shown on your device rather than assuming every model has the same controls.
What changed after the 2024 launch?
The original Series 10 story described a launch-era hardware distinction. Apple’s later watchOS 26 announcement says more than 20 watch faces were updated to display ticking seconds in always-on mode. That means the early contrast between Series 10 and older hardware should not be treated as an unchanging rule in 2026. The later update is covered at Apple Newsroom.
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Quick Recap
Flux vs. Reflections at a glance
| Face | Style | Main visual effect | Best for | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flux | Bold and graphic | Color advances across the display as time passes | Animated, modern looks and the Series 10 display | Less information-dense than Modular-style faces |
| Reflections | Minimal and premium | Shimmering dial responds subtly to movement | Polished, jewelry-like styling | More decorative; fullscreen layouts may limit complications |
What these faces do not provide
- They do not improve timekeeping accuracy; they are visual designs.
- They are not native third-party replacements. Apps such as WatchMaker may offer complications, photos or app-based alternatives, but generally cannot replace Apple’s built-in full watch-face system. See Digital Trends’ face guide.
- They do not make every compatible watch display identical always-on animation.
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