watchOS 10.2 Beta Reintroduces Option to Change Apple Watch Faces With a Swipe

The third watchOS 10.2 beta that Apple released this week reintroduces an Apple Watch feature for swapping watch faces that was initially removed with the upgrade to watchOS 10.

apple watch ultra blue
Users can now choose to use a swipe gesture to switch the active Apple Watch face by enabling the option in the Apple Watch Settings app. With the feature turned on, swiping left or right on the watch face scrolls through the available watch faces that have been set up.

Switching watch faces with a swipe gesture was the default in watchOS 9, but Apple updated the interaction because of complaints that it was too easy to accidentally change watch faces. The current gesture requires long pressing before swiping to change the active watch face.


With watchOS 10.2, Apple Watch owners who preferred the prior method of changing their watch faces can choose to enable the setting if desired. The option is under Settings > Clock in the third beta.

watchOS 10.2 is available to both developers and public beta testers at this time, and it is expected to see a public launch in December.

Related Roundup: watchOS 10
Related Forum: Apple Programming

Top Rated Comments

rostehea Avatar
4 weeks ago
THANK YOU! This change has bothered me SO much.
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cobra Kai Avatar
4 weeks ago
How about they let give us our side button back. Why they moved control center (something I don’t even use) to the side button and removing the ability to have a favorites dock is beyond me. Feels like this years OS’s updates have been worse.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Osxguy Avatar
4 weeks ago
Unpopular option but the push side button for control center is stupid!!! What happened in the watch team? Like a new team came in and made unnecessary changes? I’d understand it if it wasn’t a swipe for all the rest of the devices but it’s always been a swipe. At least make it a customizable option.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MallardDuck Avatar
4 weeks ago

Really don't know why they changed it, it was perfect for many years. The layout is now stupid, you scroll the crown up for the smart stack, swipe up for the smart stack and tap your fingers for the smart stack on the newer watches, so three ways to get to the same damn thing ?‍♂️

And then they moved the control center swipe up to the side button which I still hate, ridiculous change.

I would have had it like this, swipe up for the control center as it used to be, crown up for the smart stack and finger tap for the smart stack.

And as as the side button on a single press now does nothing, maybe we could customise it to make it a second shortcut button. Or we could press the side button once to bring up the apps instead of double pressing the crown which is annoying.
Best option of all: Let the user customize what button does what function.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
4 weeks ago

Unpopular option but the push side button for control center is stupid!!! What happened in the watch team? Like a new team came in and made unnecessary changes? I’d understand it if it wasn’t a swipe for all the rest of the devices but it’s always been a swipe. At least make it a customizable option.
Totally agree. As if they find that the side button is used too rarely and purposefully force us to use it.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
4 weeks ago
Agree with others .... pointless change and glad it's back.

And also agree with changing side button back to a dock and swipe up for CC .... absolute numpty changes!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios stolen device protection

iOS 17.3 Beta Adds New Stolen Device Protection Feature to iPhone

Tuesday December 12, 2023 10:20 am PST by
The first iOS 17.3 beta rolling out to developers today includes a new "Stolen Device Protection" feature that is designed to add an additional layer of security in the event someone has stolen your iPhone and also obtained the device's passcode. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and Nicole Nguyen reported about instances of thieves spying on a victim's iPhone...
New iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.2 With Journal App and More

Monday December 11, 2023 10:01 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2, the second major updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes over a month after Apple released iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1, updates that brought new AirDrop, StandBy, and Apple Music features. iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going...
Apple TV 2022 Feature Blue

Apple Releases tvOS 17.2 With Revamped Apple TV App

Monday December 11, 2023 9:58 am PST by
Apple today released tvOS 17.2, the second major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out in September 2023. tvOS 17.2 comes more than a month after tvOS 17.1, an update that expanded the availability of the Enhanced Dialogue feature. tvOS 17.2 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Rumored to Have These 12 New Features

Monday December 11, 2023 10:46 am PST by
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still over nine months away from launching, there are already several rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of December 2023:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped...
iOS 17

33 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2

Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Apple has made available for download its major end-of-year iPhone software update, iOS 17.2, featuring a large number of features and changes that users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 33 new things that your iPhone can do once you've installed the update. Check Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update on your device to get downloading. 1. Help You Keep a Daily ...
iPhone 16 Mock Back 1

iPhone 16 Early Prototypes: What Apple's Next-Generation iPhone Will Look Like

Tuesday December 12, 2023 3:07 pm PST by
With the launch of the iPhone 15, Apple introduced design changes like a curved frame and a frosted glass back. Information acquired by MacRumors suggests that Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 will build on these updates with modifications to the buttons and the camera layout. We have details on early pre-production designs for the iPhone 16, including a look at the variants and hardware...
CarPlay Phone Call

GM Says It's Nixing CarPlay to Make Drivers Safer

Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:47 pm PST by
Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This has not been a popular decision with iPhone users, and today, GM provided some additional insight into the decision in a discussion with MotorTrend. According to Tim...
macos sonoma feature purple green

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.2 With Enhanced AutoFill, New Widgets, Apple Music Updates and More

Monday December 11, 2023 10:00 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.2, the second major update to the macOS Sonoma operating system that initially came out in late September. macOS Sonoma 14.2 comes six weeks after the launch of macOS Sonoma 14.1. The ‌‌macOS Sonoma 14.2‌ update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. Apple has also released macOS 13.6.3...