How to Change the Watch Face on a Wear OS Device

Customize your smartwatch in an instant with a digital download

by
Sarah Silbert
Writer
Sarah Lawrence is a consumer technology writer whose work has appeared in Fortune and MIT Technology Review. She's also a previous senior editor at Engadget.
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Sarah Silbert
Updated on December 02, 2020

There are multiple ways to customize a Wear OS watch face. You can even download new watch faces via the Wear OS mobile app.

Instructions in this article apply to all Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) smartwatches and wearables.

Wear OS watchfaces.
Alphabet, Inc.

How to Change the Wear OS Watch Face

Here's the easiest way to change your smartwatch background:

  1. Touch the screen to wake up your watch if the screen is dim.

  2. Tap and hold any place on the background of the watch screen until you see a list of watch faces to choose from.

    On some smartwatches, swipe left on the watch screen to see the watch face options.

  3. Swipe from right to left to see all your options. 

  4. Tap the watch face you want to set as the background.

Change the Watchface Through the Wear OS App on Your Smartphone

It's also possible to change the watch face through your smartphone rather than the smartwatch itself. Open the Wear OS app on your phone and look for a selection of watch faces under the image of your watch. Tap the watch face you want, or tap More to see additional options.

Change the Wear OS Watch Face Through the Watch Settings

It's also possible to customize the watch face through the Wear OS settings:

  1. Tap the screen to wake up your watch if the screen is dim.

  2. Swipe down from the top of the screen, .

  3. Swipe from left to right until you see Settings gear and tap it.

  4. Keep scrolling until you see Change watch face and tap it

  5. Swipe from right to left to view all your watch face options and tap the one you want.

More Ways to Customize Your Wear OS Watch

The other main way to customize your device is by swapping out the smartwatch strap. Fortunately, most Wear OS watches use a 22mm band, so you shouldn't have a hard time finding a suitable third-party option. If you don't know where to look, consider first perusing the official options sold by the watchmaker. If nothing catches your eye, head over to Amazon to browse the broader selection of straps.

Where to Download Wear OS Watch Faces

To download new Wear OS watch faces, open the Wear OS app on your smartphone. Under the image of your watch, you'll see a selection of watch faces. Tap More, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Get more watch faces.

Alternatively, you can download the Facer app and explore thousands of watch faces for Wear OS and other platforms.

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