Want to make your Apple Watch feel more personal? One of the easiest ways is by customizing the watch face. Apple gives you a solid collection of official watch faces in watchOS, but the App Store also has excellent third-party apps that unlock endless styles, themes, and designs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the 10 best Apple Watch faces and apps, a mix of Apple’s own designs and apps from trusted developers, so you can find the one that fits your style and daily needs.
Table of contents
1. Infograph (Apple)
The Infograph face is one of the most popular and customizable official Apple Watch faces. It allows up to eight complications, making it ideal for people who want maximum information at a glance. From weather and calendar events to heart rate and battery status, it’s built for productivity.
Pros:
- Supports up to 8 complications (maximum of any face).
- Highly flexible for both casual and professional use.
- Works seamlessly with most third-party complication apps.
Cons:
- Can feel crowded if you prefer a minimalist style.
- Best enjoyed on larger screens (Apple Watch 44mm and up).
2. Modular Ultra (Apple)
Introduced with the Apple Watch Ultra, the Modular Ultra face is perfect for athletes, adventurers, and anyone who loves bold data layouts. It emphasizes legibility and customization with big complications and a clean modular design.
Pros:
- Crisp, highly legible design.
- Works great outdoors thanks to bright layout.
- Strong focus on fitness and activity tracking.
Cons:
- Limited aesthetic appeal for those wanting a classic analog look.
- Some find it too data-heavy for casual use.
3. Portraits (Apple)
If you love personal touches, the Portraits face is a standout. It lets you set portrait-mode photos of loved ones, pets, or anything meaningful as your background. The depth effect makes your subject overlap with the time for a subtle 3D look.
Pros:
- Adds personality and charm with custom photos.
- Time text interacts dynamically with your picture.
- Easy to swap between multiple portraits.
Cons:
- Very limited complications (only two).
- Not ideal if you need quick access to data.
4. California (Apple)
The California face blends analog tradition with Apple’s modern design language. It offers both full-screen and circular options, with numerals that you can change (Roman, Arabic, Devanagari, etc.), making it a stylish but flexible face.
Pros:
- Classic look with modern Apple polish.
- Supports multiple numeral styles.
- Great balance of elegance and readability.
Cons:
- Limited complications compared to Infograph.
- Not as customizable as third-party apps.
5. GMT (Apple)
Frequent travelers will love the GMT face, which shows two time zones simultaneously. The inner dial displays local time, while the outer bezel shows a second time zone of your choice—perfect for business calls across continents.
Pros:
- Elegant design inspired by classic GMT watches.
- Ideal for travelers or international workers.
- Complications available for added utility.
Cons:
- Limited to two time zones.
- More niche appeal compared to general-purpose faces.
6. Watchsmith (Third-Party)
Watchsmith is a third-party powerhouse for customization. It lets you design complications that change dynamically throughout the day, for example, showing the weather in the morning, calendar at midday, and activity stats in the evening.
Pros:
- Dynamic complications that adapt to your schedule.
- Incredible flexibility for power users.
- Deep integration with Apple Health and Calendar.
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve for beginners.
- Best features require premium subscription.
7. Facer (Third-Party)
Facer is one of the most popular Apple Watch face platforms, offering thousands of downloadable faces, from minimalist digital designs to pop-culture themes. Many are free, while premium creators sell advanced or artistic faces.
Pros:
- Massive library of designs to explore.
- Community-driven, with new faces every day.
- Easy to install and swap.
Cons:
- Quality varies—some faces are excellent, others less polished.
- Some of the best designs are locked behind paywalls.
8. Clockology (Third-Party)
Clockology is a favorite among customization enthusiasts because it allows true creative freedom. You can design faces from scratch or download community-made ones, including designs that mimic classic Rolex, Omega, or Casio styles.
Pros:
- Unmatched design flexibility.
- Active community sharing custom faces.
- Can replicate luxury or retro watch styles.
Cons:
- Setup is more complicated than plug-and-play apps.
- Some advanced features may require side-loading.
9. Watch Faces Gallery (Third-Party)
This app is like a curated library of ready-to-use Apple Watch faces. Instead of designing from scratch, you simply pick from stylish pre-made faces and sync them to your Watch. It strikes a good balance between ease and variety.
Pros:
- Simple and beginner-friendly.
- Curated, high-quality face designs.
- One-tap installation.
Cons:
- Less customizable compared to Clockology.
- Smaller selection than Facer.
10. Buddywatch (Third-Party)
Buddywatch is a community-focused app where users share and download their favorite watch faces. It has social features that let you follow creators, making it fun if you enjoy browsing what others are using.
Pros:
- Social element adds discovery and inspiration.
- Lots of themed collections (fitness, fashion, casual).
- Easy to sync faces directly to your watch.
Cons:
- Relies heavily on community uploads—quality varies.
- Some faces require installing matching complication apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Apple doesn’t allow fully independent third-party watch faces, but apps like Facer, Clockology, and Buddywatch work by sharing face configurations through Apple’s system.
Minimalist faces like Numerals Duo or Typograph (not in this list but available officially) consume the least power compared to complication-heavy faces like Infograph.
Most apps like Facer, Clockology, and Watchsmith have free versions, but premium designs and advanced features may require subscriptions or one-time purchases.
Yes, but some designs (like Modular Ultra) are best experienced on newer models with larger displays, like Apple Watch Ultra or Series 10.
Yes, using Shortcuts or apps like Watchsmith, you can set up automation to change faces at certain times or based on location/activity.
Conclusion
Customizing your Apple Watch face is one of the easiest ways to make it truly yours. From Apple’s data-rich Infograph and Modular Ultra to third-party favorites like Facer and Clockology, there’s something for every personality and lifestyle. If you’re just starting out, stick with official Apple faces for reliability. But if you’re craving creativity, apps like Watchsmith or Clockology unlock limitless designs.
At the end of the day, your Apple Watch face should feel like an extension of your style, whether that means classic, fun, or packed with useful data.
