As Apple gets ready to launch the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 in September, it’s worth noting just how indispensable the Apple Watch has become to users all over the world. From hitting personalized fitness goals to keeping a track of important emails, messages or even the phases of the moon, the wrist accessory is now a necessity.
One of the most utilitarian (and fun) features of the watch is the ability to personalize and change watch faces, with bespoke complications and beautiful graphics to boot. These apps go beyond the in-built watch faces in the Apple Watch and offer something unique and amazing to users.
Watchsmith
Lovers of practical watch faces would revel in the options that Watchsmith offers. The app focuses on providing a large number of complications for existing and new watch faces, which can be tailored down to the tee. The best part is that these complications are dynamic.
This means that the apps and circles on the watch face will change with different times of the day, such as providing weather in the morning and timezones at night. These can be set to change steadily through the day, depending on user needs, which makes this one of the most useful Apple Watch face apps to have.
StepDog
Animal lovers rejoice — it’s possible to have a pet on the Apple Watch face, and they even keep you accountable. The app is free to use, but any customizations to the StepDog (or cat) requires a subscription.
Stepdog gives the Apple Watch a fun new watch face, and a cute pet which keeps users on their toes about step counts, and can even be given toys, food and water to be entertained. There are a number of great animations available and live weather updates are thrown in, too.
WatchMaker
For users who need very specific watch faces with tailored complications, WatchMaker is the go-to app. If tracking cardio needs to be on the Apple Watch face, along with new messages and Wi-Fi bars, WatchMaker makes it possible for creative users to make their own personalized watch face using the 11 Apple templates, but with unlimited variations.
The paid subscription unlocks all animations and creation tools, while the free version has limited access to them.
Watch Face Albums
Whether graphic wallpapers, beautiful imagery, or classic mechanical watch faces are an Apple Watch user’s requirement, Watch Face Albums has tons of free and paid imagery to pick from. The app also has a “Today Free” feature which provides paid watch faces for free in rotation.
The only drawback is that Watch users need to download the image, and set it as a watch face through Photos on their iPhone, and this is not possible to do directly to the Apple Watch.
Facer
Directly integrated with the Apple Watch, Facer is one of the most popular apps available for watch faces. The USP of this app is that users can access thousands of faces made by other designers, and even create personalized faces for themselves in the app.
Themes for faces include but are not limited to futuristic, gaming, geeky, pop culture, and nature, and the community and Facer’s many partnerships with franchises like Star Trek and Tetris make sure there are more than enough new watch-papers to go through. Users do need to watch out for watch faces that may not be compatible with all models of the Apple Watch.
Watchfacely
If variety is what a Watch user seeks, then Watchfacely provides that graciously. Neatly classified into popular faces, featured collections, maximize your space (with complications), and many more, including hashtags to categorize watch faces simply.
The only catch is that the free version only allows two downloads per day, whereas a subscription would allow users to download more watch faces in 24 hours if they should choose to.
Watch Faces Gallery
Minimal and mechanical watch faces are the specialty of Watch Faces Gallery, which is full of elegant and vintage-style wallpapers to add some class to the Apple Watch.
It also offers watch faces that play short animations when the Apple Watch wakes up, which is a lovely touch to the faces. Themes like abstract, nature-based, and outer space-based dominate the dynamic watch faces in this app.
Buddywatch
Matching a watch band to an individual’s personality can be hard, but Buddywatch takes it a step further and recommends which watch faces would suit which band. Users can also search for their respective watch model, based on which the app only shows the compatible faces, which is a great pro.
Once a pack of watch faces is downloaded, it directly opens into the Apple Watch which makes it seamless. Moreover, Buddywatch even recommends apps to add to the face, which can then be shared with friends.
Clockology
This app isn’t restricted to just the Apple Watch, but it can be used to create bespoke digital clocks for the desktop, iPhone, and iPad as well. Users have the freedom to create their own watch faces, and they can also download faces made by other users on the app.
Retro watch faces like the Casio digital watch can be found here, along with faces that resemble popular and classic watch brands.
Mobyface
Fans of pop culture would absolutely love the content available on Mobyface, which ranges from Harry Potter, to Star Wars and The Mandalorian, amongst many others. There are also NASA or vintage themed watch faces — essentially there is something for everyone.
With free and paid options, the subscription is well worth it as it unlocks a treasure chest of watch faces that Apple Watch users would love to delve into.
