Put your memories on display with this excellent (and recently updated) Apple Watch face.
Want to turn your Apple Watch into a mini photo frame? Good news: it’s never been easier to set a favorite picture—or a full-blown Portrait Mode snap—as your watch face.
First introduced in watchOS 8 and revamped in watchOS 11 in 2024, you can now sync photos from your iPhone straight to your wrist, complete with a slick, layered effect that brings your subject to the foreground.
If you’re rocking an iPhone with iOS 18 and Apple Watch running watchOS 11 (or newer), you’re good to go.
Below, we’ll walk you through the quick steps to turn your best shots into a watch face worth glancing at.
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New ‘Photos’ watch face features added in watchOS 11
AI-Powered photo selection: The Photos watch face now uses machine learning to curate images from your library. You can prioritize specific categories such as people, pets, cities, or nature scenes, allowing Apple to suggest the best images within your chosen themes.
Enhanced customization: Users can adjust the size and layout of the time display to complement the selected photo. Options for different font styles and colors were also added, providing greater personalization.
Dynamic mode: This feature allows the watch face to display a different image each time you raise your wrist. You can still tap the display to cycle through the carousel, as well as experience Live Photos as you raise your wrist.
How to add photos as an Apple Watch face
Works with: Apple Watch SE-SE 2; Series 4-10; Ultra 1-2
Previously, Apple had separate watch faces to add to the device based on whether it was a standard photo or a portrait mode image. However, that changed with watchOS 11.
All photos can now be added via the ‘Photos’ watch face. Below, we’ll explain the steps to do so.
1. Go to the Watch app on your iPhone and open Face Gallery.
2. Scroll down to ‘Photos’, then choose the content to turn into a watch face.
3. Once you’ve found your ideal photos (you can select up to 24 that will appear in the carousel), select the best time size, font, numerals, style, photo color, time color, and complications.
4. When you’re done customizing, hit the ‘Add’ button, and you have your watch face sync over.
