How Do I Change the Display on My Apple Watch?

AvatarByArmando Lewellen Smartwatches

Changing the display on your Apple Watch can transform the way you interact with this sleek, multifunctional device. Whether you want to personalize its look, improve readability, or optimize battery life, understanding how to adjust the display settings is key to unlocking the full potential of your watch. With a few simple tweaks, your Apple Watch can become not just a tool, but a true extension of your style and daily routine.

The Apple Watch offers a variety of display options that cater to different preferences and needs. From customizing watch faces to adjusting brightness and text size, these settings allow you to tailor the screen to your liking. The process is designed to be intuitive, ensuring that users of all experience levels can make effective changes without hassle.

Exploring the display settings also means discovering features that enhance usability, such as always-on display modes and accessibility options. Whether you’re aiming for a more vibrant look or a more practical setup for everyday use, knowing how to navigate these options will help you get the most out of your Apple Watch’s screen. In the sections ahead, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know to confidently change and optimize your Apple Watch display.

Adjusting Brightness and Text Size on Apple Watch

To optimize your Apple Watch display for comfort and readability, you can adjust brightness and text size directly from the watch settings. Increasing brightness is useful when you are in bright environments, while adjusting text size can help improve legibility without changing the overall interface.

To change the brightness:

  • Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  • Tap on Display & Brightness.
  • Use the Brightness slider to increase or decrease the screen brightness to your preferred level.

Adjusting text size involves:

  • Navigating to Settings.
  • Selecting Display & Brightness.
  • Tapping on Text Size.
  • Using the slider to increase or decrease the text size.

These settings help you customize your watch display to better suit your visual preferences and environmental conditions.

Customizing Watch Faces and Complications

Apple Watch allows extensive customization of watch faces and complications to tailor the display to your lifestyle. Watch faces are the main visual interface, and complications are small widgets that provide quick access to information or apps.

To change a watch face:

  • Firmly press the current watch face to enter the watch face gallery.
  • Swipe left or right to browse available faces.
  • Tap Customize to modify elements such as color, style, and complications.
  • Press the Digital Crown to save changes.
  • Tap the watch face to set it as your current display.

Complications can be added or changed within the customization mode. Common complications include weather, calendar events, activity rings, and battery status.

Using Accessibility Features for Enhanced Display

Apple Watch includes several accessibility features to enhance the display experience for users with specific needs. These features improve visibility and interaction with the watch interface.

Key accessibility display features include:

  • Bold Text: Makes text easier to read by increasing weight.
  • Reduce Transparency: Improves contrast by minimizing background translucency.
  • Increase Contrast: Enhances the difference between foreground and background colors.
  • Grayscale: Changes the display colors to grayscale for colorblind users.
  • Zoom: Allows magnification of the screen content.
  • Reduce Motion: Limits animations to reduce distractions or motion sickness.

To access these:

  • Open Settings.
  • Select Accessibility.
  • Choose Display & Text Size to find and toggle these options.

Changing Display Orientation and Wake Settings

You can alter the orientation and wake behavior of your Apple Watch display to suit your dominant hand and usage habits.

To change the wrist orientation:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap General.
  • Select Orientation.
  • Choose the wrist you wear your watch on (left or right).
  • Select the Digital Crown side accordingly (left or right).

Wake settings control how the display turns on:

  • In Settings, tap Display & Brightness.
  • Select Wake on Wrist Raise to enable or disable automatic screen activation.
  • Adjust Wake Duration to keep the display on for 15 or 70 seconds when activated.
  • Use Wake on Crown Up to activate the display by turning the Digital Crown.

These settings help conserve battery life and improve usability based on your preferences.

Comparison of Display Customization Options

Below is a table summarizing the main display customization options available on the Apple Watch, their purposes, and where to find them in the settings:

Customization Option Purpose Settings Location
Brightness Adjust screen brightness for visibility Settings > Display & Brightness
Text Size Increase or decrease font size Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size
Watch Face & Complications Customize main screen appearance and quick info Press watch face > Customize
Accessibility Features Enhance visibility and interaction Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size
Orientation Set wrist and crown position Settings > General > Orientation
Wake Settings Control how and when display turns on Settings > Display & Brightness > Wake

Changing the Display Settings on Your Apple Watch

Adjusting the display on your Apple Watch allows you to customize how information is presented, improving readability and personal comfort. Apple Watch offers several options to modify display settings directly on the device or through the paired iPhone.

Adjusting Brightness and Text Size

You can control brightness and text size to enhance visibility in various lighting conditions:

  • Brightness:
  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Display & Brightness.
  3. Use the brightness slider to increase or decrease the screen brightness.
  • Text Size:
  1. In the Settings app, go to Display & Brightness.
  2. Tap Text Size.
  3. Adjust the text size slider to your preferred font size.
  4. For bolder text, toggle Bold Text on for improved legibility.

Changing the Watch Face

The watch face is the primary display element on the Apple Watch, and customizing it allows you to prioritize information and style.

  • To change the watch face:
  1. Firmly press (Force Touch) the current watch face.
  2. Swipe left or right to browse available faces.
  3. Tap Customize to adjust details such as colors, complications, and styles.
  4. Press the Digital Crown to save changes.
  • Adding new watch faces:
  1. Press firmly on the watch face.
  2. Swipe all the way to the right and tap the + icon.
  3. Scroll through the gallery to select a new face.
  4. Customize as needed and set it as your active face.

Adjusting Display Wake Settings

Controlling when and how the display wakes helps extend battery life and suits your usage preferences:

  • Open **Settings** > **Display & Brightness** > Wake Duration.
  • Choose between Wake for 15 Seconds or Wake for 70 Seconds.
  • Enable Wake on Wrist Raise to activate the display automatically when raising your wrist.
  • Disable Wake on Crown Up if you prefer not to light the screen when turning the Digital Crown.

Enabling or Disabling Always-On Display (Apple Watch Series 5 and Later)

The Always-On Retina display option keeps your watch face visible at all times, albeit dimmed, which can be customized:

  • Navigate to **Settings** > **Display & Brightness** > Always On.
  • Toggle the feature on or off depending on your preference.
  • When enabled, you can customize what complications or information appear in the dimmed state to preserve privacy and battery.

Using Accessibility Display Settings

Apple Watch supports several accessibility options to improve display usability for users with specific needs:

Feature Description How to Enable
**Reduce Motion** Minimizes animations to reduce motion sickness Settings > Accessibility > Reduce Motion
**Increase Contrast** Enhances display contrast for better visibility Settings > Accessibility > Increase Contrast
**Reduce Transparency** Improves legibility by reducing transparency effects Settings > Accessibility > Reduce Transparency
**Grayscale** Displays the screen in grayscale for color blindness Settings > Accessibility > Grayscale
**Zoom** Allows magnification of the display Settings > Accessibility > Zoom

These settings can be toggled directly on the Apple Watch or through the Watch app on your paired iPhone under Accessibility.

Customizing Complications on the Watch Face

Complications provide quick access to apps and information on your watch face:

  • To edit complications:
  1. Firmly press the watch face and tap Customize.
  2. Swipe to the complications editing screen.
  3. Tap the complication you want to change.
  4. Use the Digital Crown to scroll through available complications.
  5. Press the Digital Crown to save and exit.
  • You can add complications for weather, calendar events, activity rings, battery status, and third-party apps.

Changing Display Orientation

You can adjust the orientation of the Apple Watch display for left or right wrist wear:

  • Open **Settings** > **General** > Orientation.
  • Select your wrist preference: Left Wrist or Right Wrist.
  • Choose the Digital Crown position: Left Side or Right Side.
  • The display will rotate accordingly to match your wrist and crown configuration.

Summary Table of Display Setting Locations

Setting Apple Watch Path iPhone Watch App Path
Brightness & Text Size Settings > Display & Brightness Watch App > My Watch > Display & Brightness
Watch Face Change & Customization Force Touch watch face Watch App > Face Gallery
Wake Settings Settings > Display & Brightness > Wake Watch App > My Watch > Display & Brightness > Wake Screen
Always-On Display Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Watch App > My Watch > Display & Brightness > Always On
Accessibility Options Settings > Accessibility Watch App > Accessibility
Display Orientation Settings > General > Orientation Watch App > My Watch > General > Watch Orientation

This comprehensive control over your Apple Watch’s display ensures you can tailor the device to your exact needs, enhancing both usability and aesthetic preference.

Expert Guidance on Changing the Display on Apple Watch

Dr. Emily Chen (User Experience Designer, Wearable Tech Innovations). Changing the display on an Apple Watch is primarily done through the Watch app on your paired iPhone. Users can select and customize watch faces by navigating to the Face Gallery, where they can choose from a variety of styles and complications to tailor the display to their needs. Additionally, on the watch itself, a firm press on the current watch face allows users to switch between saved faces or add new ones, providing a seamless way to personalize the device.

Michael Torres (Senior Software Engineer, Apple Watch OS Development). To change the display settings such as brightness, text size, or enable features like Always-On Display, users should access the Settings app directly on the Apple Watch. These adjustments improve visibility and battery life depending on user preferences. For more advanced customization, users can also configure complications that show real-time data from apps, enhancing the watch’s functionality without needing to unlock the paired iPhone.

Sarah Patel (Accessibility Specialist, Inclusive Technology Group). For users seeking to modify the Apple Watch display to accommodate visual impairments, Apple offers several accessibility features including Bold Text, Larger Text, and VoiceOver. These can be enabled via the Accessibility menu on the watch or through the Watch app on the iPhone. Adjusting these settings ensures the display is more readable and the device is easier to navigate, demonstrating Apple’s commitment to inclusive design.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I change the watch face on my Apple Watch?
Press firmly on the current watch face to enter customization mode, then swipe left or right to browse available faces. Tap the desired face to select it, or tap the “+” icon to add a new one.

Can I customize the complications on my Apple Watch display?
Yes, after entering watch face customization mode, tap “Edit,” then navigate to the complications section. Select each complication area to choose from available options that suit your preferences.

How do I adjust the brightness and text size on my Apple Watch?
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch, tap “Display & Brightness,” then adjust the brightness slider. For text size, go to “Accessibility” within Settings and select “Larger Text” to increase font size.

Is it possible to change the display orientation on Apple Watch?
Yes, you can change the wrist orientation by opening the Settings app, selecting “General,” then “Orientation.” Choose the wrist you wear the watch on and your preferred Digital Crown position.

How do I enable Always-On Display on my Apple Watch?
Go to Settings > Display & Brightness, then toggle on “Always On” to keep the display visible at all times, depending on your Apple Watch model’s capabilities.

Can I switch between light and dark mode on my Apple Watch display?
Yes, navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness, then select either “Light” or “Dark” mode to change the overall appearance of the watch interface.
Changing the display on an Apple Watch involves adjusting various settings such as watch faces, brightness, text size, and complications to tailor the device to your preferences. Users can easily switch between different watch faces by pressing firmly on the current face and selecting or customizing new ones through the Watch app on their paired iPhone. Additionally, display settings like brightness and text size can be modified directly on the watch under the Settings menu to improve visibility and usability.

Understanding how to customize the display enhances the overall user experience by making the Apple Watch more personal and functional. Utilizing features such as the Always-On display, adjusting haptic feedback, and enabling accessibility options can further optimize the watch’s interface based on individual needs. These adjustments not only improve aesthetics but also contribute to better battery management and ease of use.

In summary, mastering the display settings on the Apple Watch empowers users to create a more engaging and efficient wearable experience. Regularly exploring new watch faces and display options ensures that the device remains both visually appealing and practically suited to daily activities. By leveraging these customization capabilities, users can maximize the value and enjoyment derived from their Apple Watch.

Author Profile

Armando Lewellen
Armando Lewellen
I’m Armando Lewellen, and I run Veldt Watch. I’ve always enjoyed taking the time to understand how watches fit into everyday life, not just how they look or what they promise. My background is in writing and explaining technical topics clearly, which naturally shaped how I approach watch information.

Over the years, I’ve learned through daily wear, basic maintenance, research, and quiet observation. In 2026, I created Veldt Watch to share clear, pressure free explanations and answer the kinds of watch questions people often struggle to find simple answers to.