How to change and customize your Apple Watch face

Adding complications

You can also customize these preset faces via the Edit button at the bottom of your screen. This is where you can swap the widgets on your watch face.

Known as complications, these advanced widgets can be added either within the Watch app or directly through the Apple Watch interface. Their capabilities range from simple practicalities, like calendars, compasses and map directions, to more niche features displaying tide swells, air quality conditions and moon phases.

You can add a complication to your watch face by tapping a complication area, such as the top right-hand corner, and then selecting your desired feature from Apple's extensive list. For the full roster of available complications, visit Apple's complications section on its support page. Once your watch face is to your liking, press Add to Watch, and it will be placed in your collection.

Editing your collection

To add a new face to your Apple Watch collection directly from the watch, follow the same steps and swipe left until you see the gray plus button. Once you've hit the plus, you can tap the collection of watch faces you'd like to browse. To see all available faces, scroll to the bottom, where you will find the All Watch Faces tab. Once you've found the ideal watch face, tap the Get button next to it, then click Add. 

To remove a face from your collection, press and hold your current watch face, swipe until you find the unlucky victim of your discerning taste, and swipe up. Then, tap the red garbage can icon labeled Remove. You can accomplish a similar feat within your phone's Watch app by tapping My Watch, hitting the Edit button in the My Faces tab, and clicking the red icon next to the watch face you'd like to banish from your wrist.

To view your full collection, visit the Apple Watch app and tap My Watch. Then, swipe through the collection in the My Faces section. To rearrange your collection's order, tap Edit and drag your selection to its desired location. This process can also be done on the watch directly by pressing on the display, holding your finger down on the desired watch face, and dragging it to its desired location.