You can't change the background of Apple Watch the way you do on an iPhone, but you can customize your watch face itself

Apple Watch does not have a traditional home screen background. Instead, you customize the watch face — the display that shows the time and complications (small widgets showing weather, activity, calendar, and other information). When you change your watch face or modify the one you're using, you're changing what appears on your screen. This is done through the Watch app on your paired iPhone, not directly on the watch.

The process takes about two minutes and gives you control over the colors, style, and information displayed. You can have multiple watch faces saved and switch between them by swiping on your watch screen.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to the Watch Face Gallery, and select a new face to change what appears on your screen.
  • You can customize colors, add complications (small data widgets), and adjust the style of most watch faces directly in the Watch app.
  • Changes sync automatically to your Apple Watch within seconds.
  • You can save multiple watch faces and switch between them by swiping left or right on your watch screen.

How to change your watch face using your iPhone

Open the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap the Watch Face Gallery tab at the bottom of the screen. You'll see rows of available watch faces organized by style — Modular, Infograph, Solar, Meridian, and others. Tap any face to preview it.

Once you've chosen a face, tap Add in the top right corner. The watch face appears on your Apple Watch within a few seconds. If you want to make it your primary face (the one that shows when you raise your wrist), tap and hold the face in the Watch app, then tap Make Default.

How to customize colors and complications on your current watch face

Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap Watch Faces. Find the face you want to edit and tap it. You'll see options to change the color, style, or accent color depending on which face you selected. Tap the color swatches to cycle through available options.

Below the color options, you'll see Complications — these are the small data displays on your watch face. Tap any complication slot to change what information appears there. You can add weather, activity rings, calendar events, reminders, stocks, or dozens of other data types. Not every watch face has the same number of complication slots; some have none.

How to switch between multiple watch faces on your wrist

Once you have more than one watch face saved, you can switch between them directly on your Apple Watch without opening your iPhone. Raise your wrist to wake the screen, then swipe left or right across the watch face. Each swipe moves you to the next saved face in your list.

To reorder your watch faces so your favorites come first, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap Watch Faces, and drag the faces into the order you want. The face at the top of the list is your default.

Watch faces that require a subscription or app purchase

Most built-in Apple watch faces are free. Some third-party apps add their own watch faces, and a few require a paid subscription to use. For example, the Hermès watch face is only available if you own an Apple Watch Hermès model. Some fitness apps like Strava or weather apps like Weather Underground offer custom faces that may require their paid tier.

You can see which faces are free and which require payment in the Watch Face Gallery. If a face shows a price or subscription label, you'll need to purchase or subscribe before you can add it.

Troubleshooting: watch face changes not appearing on your watch

If you add or customize a watch face in the Watch app but don't see the change on your wrist, check that your iPhone and Apple Watch are connected. Open the Watch app and look at the top of the screen — if it says "Disconnected," your devices aren't synced. Make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network or that your watch is in range of your iPhone via Bluetooth.

If they're connected and the change still hasn't appeared after 30 seconds, force close the Watch app on your iPhone by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Then open it again. You can also restart your Apple Watch by holding the side button until you see the power-off slider, then slide to power off. Wait a few seconds and hold the side button again to turn it back on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a photo as my Apple Watch background?

Not directly as a background, but some watch faces let you add a photo as a complication. The Photos watch face displays a rotating photo from your iPhone photo library. Open the Watch app, select the Photos face, and tap the complication to choose which album to display.

Why can't I find a watch face I used before?

Watch faces are removed from your watch when you delete them in the Watch app. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap Watch Faces, swipe left on the face you want back, and tap Delete. Then go to the Watch Face Gallery and tap Add to restore it. Alternatively, if you're looking for a face that came with an older watchOS version, it may no longer be available in newer versions.

Can I create my own custom watch face?

Apple does not allow you to design a watch face from scratch. You can only customize the built-in faces by changing colors and adding complications. Some third-party apps offer limited customization through their own watch faces, but you cannot build one entirely from scratch using Apple's tools.

Do watch face changes sync across multiple Apple Watches?

No. Each Apple Watch syncs independently with your iPhone. If you own two Apple Watches paired to the same iPhone, changes you make in the Watch app apply only to whichever watch is currently selected at the top of the Watch app. To change faces on your other watch, switch the selection in the Watch app first.