The Google Pixel Watch 2 may be a supremely sleek-looking smartwatch, but you'll have to download new watch faces and tinker with the pre-downloaded library to really maximize its style.
Whether you typically rush to install minimalist digital faces or prefer analog options filled with complications, you're sure to find something in the extensive Pixel Watch's library.
There's a watch face for everyone - and the Pixel Watch's circular display does an excellent job of showing off a range of styles.
We've been wearing the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 for the last year - here are 10 of our favorite downloads.
Photos
Wareable
Free | Download Google Photos
A must-have option for anybody set up with Google Photos, this watch face allows you to pull in 30 of your favorite snaps directly to the watch face. A tap on the screen will cycle through each you've picked.
There's not too much in the way of customization here, with just one slot for complications and no way to change the colors on show, but, given this one is all about the background, we'll allow it.
If you have the always-on display turned on, just know that the photo will only appear once you've raised your wrist.
Diver Style Classic 5
Wareable
Free | Download from the Play Store
Neither Pixel Watch looks anything like a traditional diving watch, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy that same look on the dial.
Thanks to this third-party option, you're able to get a traditional analog style that's highly customizable.
You'll have to edit things within the relatively fiddly app, but, if you do, you'll be rewarded with six complication slots, endless color combinations for indices and watch hands, and tweakable settings for the always-on display.
Analogue Arcs
Wareable
Free | Pre-installed
A new face for the Pixel Watch that only landed with the arrival of the second-gen model, Analogue Arcs makes our list because of the sheer amount you can load in.
To our count, the fact that eight slots for complications (with four of them being rich ones) are available here makes it the most plentiful option you can download.
You also get tons of options for editing the watch hands, indices, and more. Plus, given this is a native watch face, there are also plenty of colors available, and you won't have to go to the trouble of downloading it.
Simple Pixel Watch Face
Wareable
Free (with in-app purchases) | Download from the Play Store
This one gets plenty of love in the Wear OS community, and where better place to test it out than the Pixel Watch?
Once you've downloaded the app from the Play Store, you'll be able to tinker with the color of each element on the dial, as well as how often things like the heart rate or weather complications refresh.
It's detailed, and one of the few where things still feel really straightforward despite a pretty endless amount of customization. You will have to pay extra for all the features, though.
Utility
Wareable
Free | Pre-installed
This has been our go-to watch face pretty much since the Pixel Watch launched, with three simple complication spots, a neat blended background, and no real drop-off with the always-on display enabled.
You're afforded a reasonable amount of customization here, too, from bolding the time to picking from Google's native color scheme. Clean but effective.
Flower Watch Face
Wareable
Free (with in-app purchases) | Download from the Play Store
Most watch faces are fairly neutral, but this app - another option from Thema - adds some much-needed color and creativity to your library.
We've found this to be one of the better-developed third-party options on the Play Store, with an always-on display mode that really neatly blends into the background and lots of customizable slots for complications.
The downside here is that while there is a free version you can play around with, all the best bits are locked behind a paywall. Still, it's worth it for those who want their Pixel Watch to exude more flower power.
Index
Wareable
Free | Pre-installed
When we're less about app shortcuts and more looking for simple stats, we employ Index.
This makes the Pixel Watch feel much more like a fitness tracker, given that the app shortcuts you select won't appear very large. It's best for one-glance metrics like calorie burn, battery percentage, and steps taken, rather than a quick jump to Google Wallet.
Plus, with this one also coming pre-installed, you won't have to do any downloading from the Play Store.
Google Fit
Wareable
Free | Download Google Fit
We've waxed lyrical about why Google Fit is a great place to track your fitness - and the watch face that unlocks when you download the app is a great way to keep tabs on your daily progress.
Working quite similarly to Apple's Activity Rings, the two rings around the perimeter of the face will update when your steps or Heart Points edge closer to your goal, with the time and date appearing above two customizable slots for complications.
Prime
Wareable
Free | Pre-installed
Forget widgets, dials, and even numbers - Prime keeps things simpler than any watch face you'll find on the Pixel Watch, yet still manages to remain relatively unique.
Here, you're simply given the time in a mildly clever readout. There's no option to add seconds or watch hands, though you do actually have the choice to change the color of the hour's wording - and a single complication spot.
Not a watch face for everybody, but a fun novelty to have in your arsenal - and a good battery saver, too.
Facer
Wareable
Free (with in-app purchases) | Download from the Play Store
We wanted to keep this list strictly to just watch faces, but there is also the cohort of watch face apps to consider, with Facer being our go-to pick of the lot.
Instead of just focusing on a single watch face, Facer features a library of thousands of faces to pick from - and effectively means you can never run out of new options.
You will have to pay for plenty of them, but there are also tons to choose from that are free. And while customization levels do vary, you're almost certain to find something you like with Facer.
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.