Free Download Apple Watch Faces
Eber Shelhorse
These watch faces are all free, and you can get them by long pressing your Apple Watch and swiping over to New +, or opening the Watch app on your iPhone and tapping Face Gallery.
I've come to learn that not everyone uses the watch the same way that I do. What I do is configure different watch faces as their own "apps". I have a weather face, a productivity face, a couple fitness faces, and a location face. So I can easily flick a finger to access data points and dive deeper into apps with practically zero thought or effort. Because it's predictable, I can access a watch face as I'm raising my wrist in the middle of a workout. I never use the App List because all my apps are accessible on watch faces. It's the best thing about Apple Watch.
I have tried to use Widgets but there is absolutely no comparison. One does not offer a fraction of the usability or ergonomics as the other. Widgets are cumbersome and time consuming. It's been suggested that I use Focus Modes to have different faces appear at different times. This is the exact opposite of what I want from my watch. I specifically and intently want to access data on the fly with the flick of a finger. That's how it has worked since WatchOS 3. Why change the best thing about Apple Watch?
I'm currently restricted by WatchOS 10 to use one watch face. I put it on when I go for a workout and then I take it off. Other than a workout tracker it is, without a bit of exaggeration, useless to me.
I wanted to write my own watch face too - but for a hobby project, I don't think Apple allow time-centric apps for the Apple Watch on the App store at the moment. The App I've written works well as a watch face, but doesn't support complications/glances (which you'd get if it was an official watch face). I've blogged about how to write it here, with some code snippets in Swift: -to-write-a-watch-face-app-for-apple-watch/
The S4 has a bigger display that looks wonderful, and Apple has offered up some exclusive watch faces that make the most of its real estate. The rest of Apple's watch faces are there, too, and some have also gained advantages in design. Not all of them, though.
Apple doesn't have a watch face store, so you can't download third-party watch faces. Apple's offerings are all you can pick from. Admittedly, there are a lot, now: 25, and most can be customized in several ways, offering up a lot of flexibility.
But: I already notice that several watch faces follow a common theme. Some are "full screen" animation-type faces, like the new Liquid Metal, Fire and Water, Vapor, Kaleidoscope, or Motion (which shows butterflies, jellyfish or flowers, an original Apple Watch face). Kaleidoscope, Fire and Water, Liquid Metal and Vapor only show a circular graphic on older Apple Watches (S3 and before), but go full-screen on S4.
Also, many watch faces still just show either a plain analog set of watch hands, or a medium-sized basic digital watch display. There isn't much choice of watch hands or digital clock readout design or layout.
Complications, those bits of information that float on Apple Watch faces and double as shortcuts for apps, take a leap forward in two faces: Infograph and Infograph Modular. They're easily the most interesting faces. They present complications with added graphic detail -- maybe a daily temperature range or a graph of the wearer's heart rate. Not all apps and complications use the added space well, so far. Also, some watch faces now curve text information around the round watch readouts, which is cool-looking. Most watch faces don't have more than three or four complications allowed on a face. Infograph Modular allows six complications. Infograph, the most eye-catching, allows a whopping eight. At first, I loved it.
I really love unique watch face designs. Apple's very first watch had some really bold ones: Astronomy, with its solar system and Earth views, or the Solar face with its sunrise/sunset cycles. There aren't any singular new "idea" faces this time, which is surprising. It seems like, with the larger display and faster, more powerful processor, the Series 4 could be doing a lot more.
For instance, where are the new fitness watch faces? I use "Activity Digital" as my go-to: it's easy to use, shows daily stats, and has some shortcuts for music, date and weather. But the S4 version is basically the same as earlier versions. Some sort of revamped fitness watch face seems like a total missed opportunity, especially with Apple's new emphasis on heart rate.
I just kinda wish a little more had been done... or that I could download third-party watch faces, too. The Series 4 clearly pushes the possibilities forward in a big way. Now it's time for watch faces to take an even further step forward -- or allow others to design great watch face designs for it, too.
There are now tons of Apple Watch faces on offer, and the great thing is how customizable they all are. Below, we've highlighted our top picks, but make sure to play around with the complications on each and have a good crop of options in your on-watch library that you can switch between when you get bored.
One for the high design category, Palette shows a two-tone face, which rotates around the watch face to create a sweeping second hand. Dive into the settings to take your pick of a wide range of color shades, and control the complications options in each corner.
A new take on the popular Modular watch face, Modular Ultra uses the massive 49mm display of the Apple Watch Ultra to display even more complications and data. You get room for seven in total, and the room around the main display can be used to show seconds, depth, or elevation in real-time. It's one for power users, but offers so much customization.
This bonkers little watch face displays the time via floating characters, that bounce and kick around when you tap the screen. You can change the color of the background, and toggle on/off the background bling, but that's your lot for customization, and there are no complications allowed.
A glorious Apple Watch Ultra exclusive watch face, Wayfinder is designed around the Ultra's outdoors credentials. You can customize elevation or longitude/latitude around the inner ring, and choose colors and dial style. But its neatest trick is to head into a nighttime mode when you rotate the crown, with a tactical style red hue that looks the business on dark trails.
Modular was a key part of previous watchOS editions, but in OS 9 it was given a facelift with gorgeous color gradients that give it a modern lift. It also comes in three variants, Modular, Compact, and XL versions.
Another face that received a sizeable watchOS 9 overhaul. Astronomy lets you view to put an Earth, moon, or solar system view on your Watch face with room for complications at the top and the bottom of the face. You can also twist the crown to interact with it letting you see information like the next full moon.
Contour is made to show off that more curvy case look of Apple's latest smartwatch. You have the option to have the font displayed flat on the screen or to match the curves of the Watch case. You can also adjust the background color and there's a special Pride version as well which is a welcome addition to Apple's growing collection of slick faces.
Portraits was a headline new feature in watchOS 8 and it does work on older Watches (Series 4 or later) letting you bring more dynamic-looking portrait pics to your watch face. You can pick from classic, modern or rounded designs with complication support at the top and bottom of the watch face. You can also tinker with font colors too to make the time and complications stand out too.
Designed by artist Geoff McFetridge, the Artist watch face shows faces that subtly show the time as the eyes and nose. Tap the screen to change and customize the face shown, and the always-on display will show the outline of the drawing when powered down. It's abstract but has a very unique look.
These stripes are almost infinitely customizable, with the number of stripes, colors, angles, and stripe direction all up for discussion. You can have them as a square or inset circle with corner complications, between 2-9 stripes, and pick the color of each stripe. We went for the classic football strip look above, but this is one of the most personal Apple Watch faces going.
One for the track runners (possibly), Count Up puts stopwatch functionality straight onto the watch face. Tap the screen to start a timer, which will be shown on the watch face itself. Sadly it doesn't store laps as the design sort of suggests, but you do get four complication spots on the edge and can change the color of the ring.
Another abstract and classy watch face, Typograph shows the time written out in an edgy font with an analog dial in the center. You can change between a host of fonts, switch to a more classic dial, go for numerals instead of digits and change the color. There are no complications available.
New with watchOS 6, Gradient offers a gorgeous, clean look with the benefit of bold colors. If you're rocking a Series 5 or Series 6, it will invert itself to a darker mode when your wrist is down, too.
To change the Apple Watch face on your smartwatch force touch (long press) the screen to access the face gallery. From here you can scroll through your favorites, or press the + icon to access the full gallery.
With the launch of watchOS 10 and its new features, the Apple Watch got even more faces and complications to choose from. Apple provides a diverse library of watch faces, many of which are geared toward specific situations and occasions, and the choices can be overwhelming. The good news is that some of the best Apple Watch faces are already pre-installed on your smartwatch, and you can also personalize it further with Smart Stack in watchOS 10.
Metropolitan is one of the new Apple Watch faces that appeared with watchOS 9, featuring a minimalist design with support for up to 4 complications around the corners. It has a casual and formal feel and can be displayed in any situation, like in a work meeting or hanging out with friends.
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