To change an Apple Watch face, touch and hold the current face, swipe to another design and tap to select it. Ordinary sideways swipes work only when Swipe to Switch Watch Face is enabled.
To add a design that is not saved yet, open Face Gallery in the paired iPhone's Apple Watch app. The watch also has its own gallery for adding faces without the phone.
In this guide
Switch to a face already on the watch
Wake the display and open the watch face. Touch and hold it until the saved faces appear, then swipe to a design and tap to select it.
The other saved faces stay in the collection. Keep a familiar design available while trying a new layout.
Status: Apple's current watch-face instructions checked 22 October 2026. Face Gallery labels and the separate swipe setting were verified in the guide; no watch was changed.
Apple documents touch-and-hold selection in its watch-face guide. It works even when ordinary swipe switching is turned off.
To enable ordinary sideways switching, open Settings > Clock on the watch and turn on Swipe to Switch Watch Face. Leave it off if accidental swipes keep changing the face.
The Clock section also has a separate minutes-ahead adjustment for the displayed time, while 24-hour format is chosen on the paired iPhone.
Add a design through Face Gallery
On the paired iPhone, launch Apple Watch and tap Face Gallery. Browse a category or choose See All Watch Faces for the full available collection.
Tap Get, as shown in Apple's current instructions, then choose the design's color or style and review its complication positions.
Complications show information from apps, such as weather or a timer. Tap an available position to choose what appears there, or select Off to leave it empty.
For an app-based complication that is not installed yet, add the compatible watch app before returning to the face editor.
When finished, tap Add to Watch. Apple says the added face enters the collection and becomes the watch's current face.
Check small labels and essential information on the watch itself. Some designs offer fewer complication positions, so choose for readability as well as appearance.
Add a face without the iPhone
With the watch face showing, touch and hold the display. Swipe to the end of the saved collection and tap the add control.
Browse a category or All Watch Faces, choose Get beside the design, then Add. Apple's current guide uses these labels; the gallery can look different on older watchOS versions.
For complication changes on the watch, touch and hold the face and tap Edit. Swipe to the last edit screen, select a supported slot, then rotate the Digital Crown through its available choices.
To keep the edit, press the Digital Crown, then tap the face. Not every design offers the same slots. A missing choice can depend on the face, app or watch model, including the model limits on Apple's Steps complication.
Keep the collection manageable
In the iPhone's Apple Watch app, My Watch > My Faces shows the saved collection. Choose Edit there to rearrange its order.
To remove a saved design, touch and hold the watch display and swipe to that face. Swipe upward, then tap Remove. This removes the face without erasing the watch.
Apple states that a removed face can be added again later. Keep the designs you actually switch between near the start of the collection.
Changing a face is a layout choice, not a guaranteed battery repair. For unusually short runtime, follow the Apple Watch battery checks before assuming the design is the whole cause.
If an eligible face or complication is still absent, give Apple Support the watch model and watchOS version. Check those requirements before considering a reset for a missing design.
The Short Version
Touch and hold the current face, swipe and tap to select a saved design. Add a new one through Face Gallery on the iPhone or the add control at the end of the watch's collection.
Ordinary swipe switching has its own setting under Settings > Clock.
Where to Next
Test the new face's readability and complication positions during normal use. Keep a familiar alternative saved until the replacement has the information you need.
