You can add watch faces directly from your Apple Watch or from the iPhone app
Adding a new watch face to your Apple Watch takes about two minutes and works the same way whether you're using a newer model or an older one. You have two routes: swipe left on your current watch face to open the face gallery, tap the plus sign, and browse the built-in options. Or open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Watch Faces, and add faces there — this method gives you more detail about each one before you commit.
Once you add a face, it stays in your rotation until you delete it. You switch between faces by swiping left or right on your watch screen, or by pressing and holding the current face to see all your faces at once. Most people keep three to five faces and rotate them based on the day or what they're doing.
Key Takeaways
- You can add watch faces directly on your Apple Watch by swiping left and tapping the plus sign, or through the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Built-in faces are free and come with your watch; third-party faces from the App Store cost money and require installation through the Watch app.
- Switching between faces happens by swiping left or right on your watch screen, or by pressing and holding to see all faces at once.
- You can customize most faces by long-pressing them and tapping Edit to change colors, complications, and style options.
- Deleting a face you no longer want is done by swiping left on it in your face gallery and tapping the trash icon.
Adding a watch face directly on your Apple Watch
The fastest way to add a face is straight from your wrist. Swipe left on your current watch face — the screen will show your existing faces and a plus sign at the end. Tap the plus sign to open the face gallery.
Scroll through the available faces by swiping up and down. When you find one you like, tap it to preview how it will look. Tap "Add" at the bottom of the screen. The face is now part of your rotation and will appear when you swipe through your faces.
This method works well if you know roughly what you're looking for, but you can't see detailed information about what each face does or what complications it supports. If you want more detail before adding, use the iPhone method instead.
Adding watch faces through the iPhone Watch app
Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the Watch Faces tab at the bottom. You'll see all the faces you currently have, plus a gallery of available ones below. Tap any face in the gallery to see a full description, what complications it supports, and what colors or styles are available.
When you've decided on a face, tap "Add" and the face will appear on your watch within a few seconds. The Watch app method is better if you're browsing for inspiration or want to understand what a face can do before you add it. You can also add multiple faces at once this way without switching back and forth to your watch.
The Watch app also shows you which faces are compatible with your specific Apple Watch model. Some newer faces don't work on older watches, and the app will tell you before you try to add one.
Customizing a watch face after you add it
Most built-in watch faces let you change colors, add complications (small widgets that show time, weather, activity rings, or other data), and adjust the style. To customize a face, press and hold it on your watch until the screen shows editing options, then tap "Edit."
You'll see toggles for color, style, and complications. Swipe left and right to change the color. Tap any complication slot to add or change what information appears there — for example, you can add your next calendar event, current temperature, or your activity progress. Not every face supports every complication, so you may see limited options depending on which face you're editing.
You can also customize faces from the iPhone Watch app. Open Watch Faces, tap the face you want to edit, and tap "Edit" at the bottom. Changes you make on your iPhone sync to your watch automatically.
Switching between your watch faces
Once you have multiple faces added, you switch between them by swiping left or right on your watch screen. Each swipe moves you to the next face in your rotation. If you have five faces, swiping right from your first face will cycle through all of them.
For a faster view of all your faces at once, press and hold your current watch face. Your watch will show all your faces in a carousel. Tap any face to jump straight to it, or swipe to browse through them. This is useful when you have many faces and don't want to swipe through each one individually.
You can also set a specific face to appear when you raise your wrist or when you open a particular app. This is done through the Watch app on your iPhone under the app's settings, though most people just stick with swiping.
Buying and installing third-party watch faces
Beyond the built-in faces, you can buy additional faces from the App Store. Open the App Store on your iPhone, search for "watch faces," and browse the available options. Most third-party faces cost between $0.99 and $4.99, though some are free.
When you find a face you want, tap "Get" and then "Install" (you may need to authenticate with Face ID or your Apple ID password). The face will download to your watch and appear in your face gallery automatically. Third-party faces work the same way as built-in ones — you swipe to them, press and hold to customize, and swipe to delete if you change your mind.
Not all third-party faces work on all watch models. Check the App Store listing to see which Apple Watch versions are supported before you buy. Some faces also require a specific version of watchOS to run, so if an installation fails, updating your watch may fix it.
Deleting a watch face you no longer want
To remove a face from your rotation, swipe to it on your watch and press and hold. Tap "Edit," then swipe left on the face preview and tap the trash icon. The face is deleted and will no longer appear when you swipe through your faces.
You can also delete faces from the iPhone Watch app. Open Watch Faces, swipe left on any face, and tap the trash icon. Deleting a face doesn't remove it from the App Store if it's a third-party face — you can add it again later if you change your mind.
You can't delete all your watch faces. Your Apple Watch always keeps at least one face active, so if you try to delete your last remaining face, the watch will stop you and ask you to add a new one first.
Troubleshooting watch face problems
If a face won't add or keeps disappearing, restart your Apple Watch. Hold the side button until the power-off slider appears, swipe it to turn off the watch, wait 10 seconds, then hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears. Try adding the face again after the watch restarts.
If a third-party face won't install, check that your watch and iPhone are both running the latest software. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to General, then Software Update, and install any available updates. Some faces also require specific permissions — if the app asks for location or health data access, you'll need to grant those permissions in the Watch app settings before the face will work.
If you're running out of storage space on your watch, deleting unused apps or watch faces can free up room. Your watch will warn you if storage is low, and removing third-party faces is usually the fastest way to reclaim space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use watch faces from other people?
No, you can't share watch face configurations directly between watches or people. However, you can both add the same built-in or third-party face from the App Store and customize it the same way. If someone shows you a face they like, you can search for it by name in the Watch app and add it yourself.
Do I need an iPhone to add watch faces?
No. You can add any built-in watch face directly on your Apple Watch by swiping left and tapping the plus sign. You only need an iPhone if you want to browse third-party faces from the App Store or see detailed information about faces before adding them.
What happens to my watch faces if I update watchOS?
Your existing watch faces stay on your watch after a watchOS update. However, some older third-party faces may stop working if they're not compatible with the new watchOS version. The App Store will show you which faces need updates, and you can reinstall them if the developer has released a compatible version.
Can I set different watch faces for different times of day?
Not automatically. Your Apple Watch doesn't have a built-in schedule for rotating faces. You have to swipe to change them manually, though you can set specific faces to appear when you open certain apps through the Watch app settings.
Why can't I find a watch face I saw before?
Some watch faces are only available for certain Apple Watch models or require a specific watchOS version. If a face disappears from the gallery, it may have been removed from the App Store or it may not be compatible with your watch model. Check the Watch app on your iPhone to see if it's listed as incompatible.