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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To add an Apple Watch face, use Face Gallery in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, choose a design, customize it, and tap Add to Watch. You can also add one directly on the watch by touching and holding the current face, swiping left to the end, and tapping Add.
This guide is based on the current watchOS 26 controls. Face choices and available settings vary by Apple Watch model, software version, country, and region.
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Before you start
- Your Apple Watch must be paired with an iPhone to use the iPhone-based method.
- Keep the watch and iPhone updated where possible.
- watchOS 26 requires a compatible Apple Watch and an iPhone running iOS 26. Apple lists support for Apple Watch Series 6 and later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) and later, and Apple Watch Ultra and later, but individual features have additional hardware restrictions. Check Apple’s watchOS 26 compatibility information and Apple Watch and iPhone compatibility table.
Apple Watch faces are the complete clock designs shown on the display. A face may offer controls for color, style, numerals, dials, layout, photos, locations, or other design elements. Complications are separate information areas or shortcuts on a face—for example Weather, Activity, Calendar, Battery, Heart Rate, Timer, Maps, or data from a compatible third-party app.
Not every face has complication slots, and a face’s available colors, layouts, and complication positions are specific to that design.
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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.
How to add an Apple Watch face from your iPhone
The iPhone is usually the best place to browse faces because Face Gallery shows a larger preview and presents the available customization controls together.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap Face Gallery.
- Choose a category, such as Health & Fitness, Photos, or Data Rich.
- Scroll through the available designs and tap the face you want.
- If shown, tap Get and choose an available option.
- Set the face’s color, style, dial, numerals, layout, or other available controls.
- Tap each complication position and select a complication. Swipe through the available choices, or select Off to leave a position empty.
- Tap Add to Watch.
The face is added to your collection and becomes the active face. Face Gallery is for discovering and adding designs; faces already saved to your collection are managed under My Watch and My Faces.
For Apple’s current instructions, see Change Apple Watch faces.
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This is the quickest option when your iPhone is not nearby.
- Make sure the current watch face is visible.
- Touch and hold the display.
- Swipe left all the way to the end of your saved faces.
- Tap the Add button.
- Browse categories such as New Watch Faces or Data Rich.
- Scroll down and tap All Watch Faces if necessary.
- Tap Get beside the face you want.
- Tap Add.
You can customize the face afterward. The watch-based picker is convenient for a quick addition, while Face Gallery on iPhone generally provides more context and a more complete editing view.
How to customize an existing face
On Apple Watch
- Display the face you want to change.
- Touch and hold the display.
- Tap Edit.
- Swipe left or right through the editing screens.
- Change the available color, style, dial, numerals, layout, or other face-specific settings.
- If the face supports complications, swipe to the complication screen.
- Tap a complication position and turn the Digital Crown to browse alternatives.
- Press the Digital Crown to save.
- Tap the face to make it active.
Editing changes that saved face in your collection. To keep separate work, fitness, travel, or personal versions of the same design, add the design more than once and customize each copy differently. Apple supports collections containing custom variations of the same face.
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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.
On iPhone
- Open the Apple Watch app.
- Tap My Watch.
- Select a face under My Faces.
- Change the available face settings and complication selections.
- Use the controls shown in the current app version to save or apply the changes.
The exact controls depend on the face. A simple face may offer only color or style choices, while a data-rich design may provide several complication positions.
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How to add or change complications
Complications are glanceable information and app shortcuts, not merely decorative widgets. Most open their associated app when tapped.
- Touch and hold the active face.
- Tap Edit.
- Swipe left to the complication screen.
- Tap the position you want to change.
- Turn the Digital Crown to browse compatible complications.
- Press the Digital Crown, then tap the face.
Choose complications according to the size of the available slot:
- Small corner or top positions: Battery, weather temperature, or a compact Activity indicator.
- Large or rectangular positions: Calendar events, workout information, or more detailed weather conditions.
- App-launch positions: Timers, Maps, Reminders, or another frequently used app.
Keep privacy in mind. Messages, Mail, Calendar, and location-related information may be unsuitable on a face visible to colleagues or other people. Frequently updating information and Always-On Display behavior can also affect power use, although the impact varies by face, app, hardware, and settings.
How to switch between saved faces
To use the face picker, touch and hold the current face, swipe to the face you want, and tap it.
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Some versions of watchOS also allow direct swiping between faces. To enable it, go to Settings → Clock → Swipe to Switch Watch Face. If swiping does not work, use the touch-and-hold picker and check that setting. Gesture behavior and labels can differ between software versions.
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- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
How to reorder faces
On iPhone
- Open the Apple Watch app.
- Tap My Watch.
- Find My Faces.
- Tap Edit.
- Drag the reorder control beside a face up or down.
On Apple Watch
- Display the current face.
- Touch and hold the display.
- Touch and hold the selected face again.
- Drag it left or right.
Put faces used for adjacent activities—such as work, exercise, travel, and sleep—next to one another for faster switching.
How to delete and restore a face
Delete on Apple Watch
- Touch and hold the current face.
- Swipe to the face you want to remove.
- Swipe up on that face.
- Tap Remove.
Delete on iPhone
- Open the Apple Watch app and tap My Watch.
- Tap Edit in the My Faces section.
- Tap the delete control beside the face.
- Tap Remove.
A deleted face can be added again later from Face Gallery or the watch’s face picker. Removing a face deletes its saved configuration from the collection; it does not uninstall Apple’s associated apps. A third-party complication may still require its separate app to be installed.
How to create a Photos watch face
From iPhone
Use the Photos face in Face Gallery to select photos and configure its layout. Apple’s current guide allows up to 24 manually selected photos. If you shuffle a photo library or collection, Apple says 16 photos are automatically selected to display each day. The exact photo and layout controls appear when you choose the Photos face in Face Gallery.
From Apple Watch
- Open Photos on Apple Watch.
- Open an album such as Featured or Favorites.
- Tap a photo.
- Tap the Action button.
- Scroll down and tap Create Watch Face.
- Tap Photos.
If the photos you want are missing, verify that they are in an album synchronized to Apple Watch and that the iPhone and watch are paired and syncing. See Apple’s Photos face instructions.
How to share and receive an Apple Watch face
Share from iPhone
- Open the Apple Watch app.
- Tap a face in your collection or in Face Gallery.
- Tap the Share button.
- Choose how to send it.
Receive a shared face
- Open the shared face in Messages, Mail, or an online link.
- Tap the face.
- Tap Add.
A shared face can include third-party complications. If you do not have the required app, Apple may offer the option to download it or continue without that complication. Apple says recipients must have an Apple Watch running watchOS 7 or later.
If you receive a face link on an iPad or Mac, Apple documents downloading the face file, transferring it to the iPhone with AirDrop or Files, opening it in the Apple Watch app, and tapping Add to My Faces. See Apple’s face-sharing guide.
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![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
A shared face may not look identical on another watch. Model differences, older software, regional availability, or a missing third-party app can change the available complications or design.
Choosing a face for different situations
| Use case | What to prioritize |
|---|---|
| Minimalist or formal | Clear time display, high contrast, and few or no complications. |
| Work and productivity | Calendar, Reminders, Weather, Timer, and Battery. Use Messages or Mail only when privacy is acceptable. |
| Fitness | Activity, Workout, Heart Rate, Timer, Weather, and Battery. |
| Travel | Weather, Maps, Compass, World Clock, Battery, and Cellular where supported. |
| Photos and personal use | A Photos layout that leaves the image visible, plus only the complications you actually use. |
There is no universally best face. A practical collection usually works better than one overloaded design: keep a clean face for formal settings, a data-rich face for workouts, and a travel or work face with the information needed in that context.
Current watchOS 26 face availability
watchOS 26 adds or updates faces including Exactograph, Flow, Waypoint, and the Hermès Faubourg Party face. Availability varies by model and edition; the Hermès face, in particular, is not a universal option. Apple warns that the available set can differ by country, region, Apple Watch model, and software version. See the watchOS 26 update notes and Apple’s face availability guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why an Apple Watch face or complication is missing
The face is not in the gallery
Check whether the watch is too old, whether its watchOS version supports the face, and whether the design is restricted to a particular model or edition. Country and regional restrictions can also apply. Update the iPhone and watch where possible, then check Apple’s compatibility information rather than assuming every recent watch supports every face.
The desired complication is unavailable
The face may have no complication slots, may support only certain slot shapes, or may provide a limited list of complications. A third-party complication may also require its app to be installed and compatible. Changing to a different face is often the solution, because complications are not interchangeable across all designs.
You expect an app to install a complete replacement face
Apple’s documented workflow adds faces through Face Gallery or directly on the watch. Third-party apps can provide complications, and shared faces can contain them, but Apple’s documented model does not promise that an arbitrary app can install a fully independent replacement system face. Treat claims from third-party face apps accordingly.
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![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._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.
The watch cannot swipe between faces
Use the touch-and-hold face picker. If you prefer direct swiping, check Settings → Clock → Swipe to Switch Watch Face.
A complication shows dashes, stale data, or an app icon
- Tap the complication to open its app.
- Confirm that the app is installed and configured.
- Check the relevant network, location, Bluetooth, or iPhone connection.
- Remove and add the complication again.
- Restart the watch and iPhone if the problem continues.
- Update the app and watchOS when updates are available.
These are practical recovery steps, not a guaranteed fix for every third-party complication.
The face is too crowded
Use one large, information-rich complication instead of several small ones, remove redundant data, or create separate faces for different activities. A face designed for quick workout information does not also need to serve as your minimalist formal face.
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Apple Watch can display a face time up to 59 minutes ahead. This changes only the time shown on the watch face; it does not change alarms, notifications, World Clock, or other system times. See Apple’s face settings documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create multiple versions of the same Apple Watch face?
Yes. Add the same face more than once, then customize each saved copy with different colors, complications, or layouts.
Can I add a face without my iPhone?
Yes. Touch and hold the current face, swipe left to the end, tap Add, choose a face, tap Get, and tap Add.
How do I get a deleted face back?
Add it again from Face Gallery in the Apple Watch app or from the Add button on the watch. The previous saved configuration may need to be recreated.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCan I use a photo as an Apple Watch face?
Yes. Use the Photos face in Face Gallery, or open a photo on the watch and choose Action button → Create Watch Face → Photos.
Can I change the actual time by setting the watch face ahead?
No. Setting the face ahead affects only the displayed face time, by up to 59 minutes.
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