Facer was preinstalled on new Fossil Gen 5 and Gen 5E smartwatches as part of a deliberate partnership, giving owners access to a third-party watch-face catalog and a historical Premium trial. That makes it customization software with a clear use—not automatically useful software for everyone. Whether it counts as bloatware depends on its value to you, its effect on your watch, and how much control you have over it.
What Fossil and Facer announced in 2020
On December 2, 2020, Facer announced that it would come preinstalled on new Fossil Gen 5 and Gen 5E watches. Droid Life reported the news the next day. This was a planned partnership, not an accidental installation or an app required for the watch’s core operation. Facer’s announcement described the offer; Droid Life’s December 3 coverage summarized it.
- Direct access to Facer without first installing it separately.
- A catalog Facer said contained more than 100,000 watch faces at the time, with thousands of new faces added monthly. Those are Facer’s claims, not independently audited counts.
- A selection of faces curated by Fossil and Facer, including branded designs associated with Star Trek, NASA, the U.S. Air Force and Garfield.
- A 30-day Facer Premium trial and access to Facer Creator.
The trial was a promotion, not a promise of permanently free Premium access. The original arrangement concerned new Fossil Gen 5 and Gen 5E watches; it should not be confused with a current offer for every owner of those models.
When preinstalled software is customization—and when it is bloat
Watch-face software can change the watch’s appearance and, depending on the face and device, its information layout and complications. A marketplace adds designs beyond the watch maker’s built-in selection; creator tools can let people make and publish their own faces. That is a tangible user-facing purpose, especially for owners who want to change looks for work, exercise, formal occasions or personal interests.
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- Bluetooth Calls & Notifications: Bluetooth 5.3 for making calls and real-time alerts from Facebook, WhatsApp, iMessage. Stay connected without reaching for your phone.
- 24/7 Health & Sleep Tracking: Monitors heart rate, SpO2, stress levels, steps and calories, alongside deep, light and REM sleep stages. Sync all your data via the Veryfit App.(*Health metrics are for reference only, not a substitute for medical diagnosis.)
- 120+ Sports Modes & IP68 Waterproof: 120+ workout modes for yoga, hiking, gym, running, and more. IP68 waterproof stands up to rain, splashes, and pool time.
- 1.85” HD Screen & Custom Faces: Crisp 1.85” HD display with smooth touch. Pick from 100+ designed watch faces or upload your photos for a customized style.
- 7-Day Battery & Smart Tools: A 2.5-hour fast charge delivers 7 days of heavy use and 30 days standby. Features cycle tracking, alarm, weather, music control,camera control and more.
But purpose alone does not settle whether an app is bloatware. A useful optional app can still be unwanted when it occupies storage, generates notifications, nudges users toward a subscription, or cannot be removed. Someone who uses only built-in faces may reasonably see little benefit in Facer. The available sources do not independently establish Facer’s storage use, battery impact, privacy practices, background activity or uninstallability on each Fossil firmware version, so those points should be checked on the individual device rather than assumed.
How to check the old 30-day trial
Facer’s support article, published in January 2021, listed Fossil Gen 5 and Gen 5E (all models) among select watches eligible for a trial for new Facer Premium subscriptions. It also listed the Montblanc Summit Lite. This is historical eligibility information, not evidence that the Fossil promotion remains redeemable in 2026. Facer’s trial instructions give these setup paths:
Rank #2
- Bluetooth Calls & Notifications: Bluetooth 5.3 for making calls and real-time alerts from Facebook, WhatsApp, iMessage. Stay connected without reaching for your phone.
- 24/7 Health & Sleep Tracking: Monitors heart rate, SpO2, stress levels, steps and calories, alongside deep, light and REM sleep stages. Sync all your data via the Veryfit App.(*Health metrics are for reference only, not a substitute for medical diagnosis.)
- 120+ Sports Modes & IP68 Waterproof: 120+ workout modes for yoga, hiking, gym, running, and more. IP68 waterproof stands up to rain, splashes, and pool time.
- 1.85” HD Screen & Custom Faces: Crisp 1.85” HD display with smooth touch. Pick from 100+ designed watch faces or upload your photos for a customized style.
- 7-Day Battery & Smart Tools: A 2.5-hour fast charge delivers 7 days of heavy use and 30 days standby. Features cycle tracking, alarm, weather, music control,camera control and more.
Android phone paired with the watch
- Install Facer from Google Play and open it.
- Check whether the app detects the watch model.
- Open the Facer Premium screen and see whether a trial is offered.
iPhone paired with a Wear OS watch
- Install Facer from Apple’s App Store and open it.
- Select WearOS in the device list.
- Pair the watch by scanning the QR code generated by Facer.
- Open the Facer Premium screen and check whether the trial is offered.
The instructions are dated and current labels may differ. Before starting any trial, read the in-app terms for eligibility, renewal price, renewal timing and cancellation method. The old support page limited the offer to select watches and new Premium subscriptions; prior Premium use or an expired or withdrawn promotion may mean no trial appears. Verify the live offer in the app rather than relying on the 2021 instructions.
What Facer offers now—and what its catalog numbers mean
Facer currently presents itself as a watch-face platform for Apple Watch, Wear OS and other platforms, with browsing, featured collections, top charts and creator-designed faces. Its homepage advertises more than 500,000 faces; its December 2020 Fossil announcement cited more than 100,000. These are platform marketing figures from different dates, and they are not directly comparable without knowing how variants, duplicates, archived designs, paid faces and platform availability are counted. A Fossil Gen 5 owner should not assume every face in the total catalog will work on that watch. Facer’s current homepage lists its current platform positioning and catalog claim.
Rank #3
- Bluetooth Calling – Stay connected hands‑free with built‑in Bluetooth that lets you make and receive calls directly from your watch. Clear audio transmission ensures convenient communication on the go.
- High‑Definition Display – Enjoy crisp, vibrant visuals on the HD screen, making notifications, time display, and your chosen watch face easy to read at a glance.
- Dual‑Band Connectivity – Equipped with dual‑band support for more stable wireless performance, providing reliable syncing and consistent connection in different usage scenarios.
- DIY Customizable Dial – Express your personal style with a fully customizable watch face. Choose from various preset designs or create your own unique dial to match your mood or outfit.
- Universal Compatibility – Seamlessly pairs with both iOS and Android smartphones, so you can enjoy core smartwatch functions regardless of your phone system.
Facer’s current site also promotes Facer Creator, a design tool it says supports Wear OS, Apple Watch, Tizen and VEE Wear, as well as a partner pathway for designers to monetize their work. Creating a face for personal use is different from publishing it publicly. Platform rules can limit what a design can do, and using logos, characters or other protected artwork raises licensing and copyright questions. Facer’s monetization offer is not a guarantee of income.
Compatibility and troubleshooting on an older Fossil
Facer remains an active service, but that does not establish compatibility with every older watch, operating-system generation, phone pairing or regional app-store listing. The Gen 5 promotion is historical, and Fossil’s current U.S. watch storefront no longer presents those smartwatches as current products. Check the current Facer app and support information for the specific watch before subscribing or making major changes.
Rank #4
- HEALTH AND FITNESS TRACKER: The iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch is loaded with a variety of workouts and activities. This smartwatch has a built-in pedometer, 24/7 heart rate, and a blood oxygen monitor that automatically tracks your steps and distance, calories burned, cardiovascular activity, and sleep.
- WORKOUT MODE: The iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch collects data tailored to a particular exercise so that you can track your improvement over time. Your workout history is available in the watch and in the iTouch Wearables app (Workouts under one minute are not logged). You can also activate Sports Mode and choose from 100+ different sports and workout options to get real-time stats and 13 Workout metrics points.
- ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Your iTOUCH Air 4 smartwatch is suitable for both men and women. You can set goals for steps, calories burned, and distance in the iTouch Wearables app, as well as receive notifications, hydration and sedentary reminders. Additionally, it offers relaxation mode, camera and music remote, weather information, stopwatch and alarm. These features are accessed by swiping right from the main watch face and you can easily customize the view.
- COMPATIBILITY: Pairing your watch with a smartphone is quick and easy! Simply pair it to any Android or iPhone using the iTOUCH Wearables app* and stay connected for updates (*requires iPhones running iOS 13 or higher and Android 10 or higher). Your smartwatch comes with limited battery charge and should be charged completely before first it's use. When fully charged, it has a battery life of up to 7-days.
- WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BOX: 1 iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch, 1 USB Charging Cable, 1 Quick start guide.
- Watch not detected: Confirm it is paired through the phone’s appropriate companion setup, check for an available Facer app update, restart the phone and watch, then reopen Facer and verify the selected platform. If detection still fails, check current compatibility before considering a reset.
- Trial not shown: Confirm the model was among those listed in the historical offer, consider whether the account has previously used Premium, and check whether a current offer exists. Do not factory-reset the watch just to pursue a legacy promotion.
- Face behaves poorly or seems to drain battery: Try a static face, reduce animation or update frequency where settings allow, remove unnecessary complications, and compare with a built-in face. Any result will be specific to that face and device; the cited sources provide no independent battery measurements.
- You do not want the preinstalled app: Check that watch’s app settings for uninstall, disable, hide or notification controls. Availability varies; disabling notifications is not the same as removing the app.
Facer or the built-in watch faces?
| Consideration | Facer | Built-in watch-face tools |
|---|---|---|
| Variety | Broader third-party catalog and community or branded designs; the usable selection depends on device compatibility. | Usually a smaller selection integrated with the watch. |
| Integration | May depend on the phone app, account, service and platform-specific support. | Usually simpler and more closely integrated with system features. |
| Cost | Some content may be premium; check current terms and pricing in the app before subscribing. | Often avoids a separate marketplace subscription, though offerings vary by device. |
| Battery and reliability | Effects depend on the specific face and implementation; independent measurements are not established here. | More predictable as a system-native option, though actual battery life still depends on use and device. |
| Offline use | Account or service dependence may matter for discovery or some content. | More likely to remain available without relying on a third-party service. |
| Creation | Facer promotes tools for designing and publishing faces across supported platforms. | Generally focused on selecting or adjusting the watch maker’s supplied faces. |
Facer is most compelling if you frequently change faces, want community or branded designs, or want to create designs. Built-in faces are the more straightforward choice if you value simplicity, prefer not to manage another account or subscription, or are satisfied with the watch’s own selection.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- HEALTH AND FITNESS TRACKER: The iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch is loaded with a variety of workouts and activities. This smartwatch has a built-in pedometer, 24/7 heart rate, and a blood oxygen monitor that automatically tracks your steps and distance, calories burned, cardiovascular activity, and sleep.
- WORKOUT MODE: The iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch collects data tailored to a particular exercise so that you can track your improvement over time. Your workout history is available in the watch and in the iTouch Wearables app (Workouts under one minute are not logged). You can also activate Sports Mode and choose from 100+ different sports and workout options to get real-time stats and 13 Workout metrics points.
- ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Your iTOUCH Air 4 smartwatch is suitable for both men and women. You can set goals for steps, calories burned, and distance in the iTouch Wearables app, as well as receive notifications, hydration and sedentary reminders. Additionally, it offers relaxation mode, camera and music remote, weather information, stopwatch and alarm. These features are accessed by swiping right from the main watch face and you can easily customize the view.
- COMPATIBILITY: Pairing your watch with a smartphone is quick and easy! Simply pair it to any Android or iPhone using the iTOUCH Wearables app* and stay connected for updates (*requires iPhones running iOS 13 or higher and Android 10 or higher). Your smartwatch comes with limited battery charge and should be charged completely before first it's use. When fully charged, it has a battery life of up to 7-days.
- WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BOX: 1 iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch, 1 USB Charging Cable, 1 Quick start guide.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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