The Apple Watch is the epitome of wearable technology. It can make and receive phone calls, track biometrics, function like Fitbit, and more. In the latest models, the Apple Watch can also function as a medical device to monitor blood pressure and heart rate and alert the doctor in case of danger.
But for those who care about aesthetics, the numerous choices for watch faces are where the device really shines. By default, you can choose from multiple Apple Watch faces which include Modular, Siri, Activity Digital, Breathe, Kaleidoscope, Vapor, Mickey and Utility faces.
All of these are well designed and will work for just about anyone, but if you want to stand out, go for Apple’s custom watch face. You can choose images from your photo gallery as the wallpaper for your Apple Watch, but you can’t currently download truly “custom” faces, but you can find great images to use as wallpaper and create your own custom face by adding “Complications.”
A “complication” is a special feature that you can add to the watch face, such as a stock price ticker or information from another app. Being able to choose what information to display at a glance is how you can make your watch face unique from anyone else’s. The key is to know where to look for wallpapers.
Where to find complications for a custom Apple Watch face
Many third-party apps come with complications that you can add to your Apple Watch later. For example, iTranslate comes with a Complication you can add that automatically determines the local language based on your GPS location and translates useful phrases throughout the day. You can simply tap on the Complication from there to enter full screen mode and say the sentence you need to be translated into.
It’s hard to find a comprehensive list of third-party apps that provide complications. However, when an app provides a Complication, it will automatically appear in the list of potential options. You can see which ones you currently have by launching the Watch app and tapping Complications under My faces.
Watchmaker
WatchMaker is an app that claims to have over 100,000 different watch faces and hands to choose from. It uses the Live Photo feature to create animated faces for the Apple Watch, but within the app it detects that the analog hand, weather and battery functions are not supported by Apple.
Something to be aware of: The app is free to download, but the setup process asks you to sign up for their premium service for $ 3.99 a week. The way around this is a small “X” in the upper right corner.
The app provides access to several free wallpapers and a watch face builder, but is extremely aggressive in promoting its premium service, to the point where it’s nearly unusable. While it’s an option if you’re dedicated to exploring every potential outlet for creating custom Apple Watch faces, use it at your own risk.
Faces [not available in certain regions]
Faces is another app that gives you access to a wide range of creative backgrounds. Like WatchMaker, it is full of advertisements. There are dozens of categories to choose from, but the vast majority of them require subscription to the premium service to access the images. Each category offers one to two free wallpapers, however.
The app works without unnecessary steps, unlike apps like Facer.
- You launch it, select the image you want, then click Create a watch face.
- Ignore the announcement and wait until you can click the “X” in the upper left corner.
- Tap the Watch icon on the screen, then select Create watch face from the displayed menu. You can then select between a Photo watch face and a Kaleidoscope watch face. You will be able to select a few other details, such as where you want the time to appear and which complication fields you want it to turn on.
- Once done, tap To add and it will appear on the watch in seconds.
There are other apps to consider, such as Watch Face [not available in certain regions] and Facer. Each app we tested required a premium membership. The truth is, you don’t need an app to create a custom Apple Watch face. Although “real” custom faces are not available due to restrictions imposed by Apple, you can choose a photo in your gallery as your wallpaper.
These photos can be downloaded from anywhere on the web. Once you’ve downloaded and chosen your wallpaper, select the Complications you want to add. It takes some effort, but you can create your own custom Apple Watch face without paying a third-party developer money.
The best place to find a custom Apple Watch face is Google. Maybe browse Pinterest or Deviant Art for a design you like. Save it, apply it to your watch and create your watch face. It’s easier and faster than trying to work with a third-party app.