Knowing how use a photo as an Apple Watch face or how to customize your Apple Watch with your own pictures can make the smartwatch feel more personal. That's why you set images of your family, friends and pets as your smartphone background, right?
If you know how to use the Apple Watch, you might know there are actually two different Apple Watch faces that can display your photos on your wrist. The first is the standard Photos face and the second is a Portrait face designed to showcase portrait photography taken with your iPhone.
All the best Apple Watch models from the Apple Watch 7 to the Apple Watch 4 support both these photo-centric faces. The Apple Watch 7's Portrait face looks slightly different due to the larger screen sizes, though.
The Apple Watch 3, meanwhile, doesn't support Portrait faces. You can still set standard images as your Apple Watch background on an Apple Watch 3, but they won't look as dynamic.
There are a few different methods to creating a one-of-a-kind watch face with your personal albums. Here's our preferred way how to use a photo as an Apple Watch face, as well as set a Portrait watch face.
How to use a photo as an Apple Watch face
1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and click 'Face Gallery' from the navigation bar on the bottom the screen.
2. Scroll down to then click Photos. The watch face options are listed in alphabetical order, if that helps.
3. Select a photo source. You can either select an album you've made in your iPhone's Photos app, or you can choose photos individually.
4. Add the photos you want for your Apple Watch face. You can select up to 24 images.
5. Customize the additional watch face settings, then set as current Watch Face. You can select a top or bottom configuration for your clock, as well as complications above or below the time.
6. Return to the My Watch tab of your Apple Watch app to see your new watch face. Now your Photos face should appear along with any previous watch faces you designed. When this face is in use, the photos will rotate in a cycle; you also can tap your Apple Watch to switch the current photo.
How to use a Portrait as an Apple Watch face
To use a Portrait photo as an Apple Watch face, you'll follow the steps above but instead of selecting the Photos option from the Face Gallery, you'll select Portraits.
(Image credit: Future)1. Select Portraits from the Face Gallery menu.
2. Select Choose Photos. You'll be shown all the images taken in Portrait mode on your iPhone. You can select up to 24 photos total.
3. Customize your Portrait watch face and add to watch. Pick a font style for the time and select your desired complications. Click add to watch.
Now you know how to use a photo as an Apple Watch face and how to use a Portrait as an Apple Watch face. Be sure to check out the best Apple Watch deals if you're in the market for a new smartwatch from Apple.
Setting a picture as your Apple Watch background has never been simpler - even if it did take a long time for Apple to release the feature.
First introduced through watchOS 8, users now have the ability to bring Portrait photos from their iPhone directly over the watch face.
Providing you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, you're ready to get started.
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Below, we've broken down the key steps, including everything you need to know to set a picture as your Apple Watch face.
Adding a Portraits Apple Watch face
Works with: Apple Watch SE / SE 2 and Apple Watch Series 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
if you want to make use of Apple's latest Portraits Watch Faces feature, there are a few things you need to make sure you've ticked off to make it happen.
- An iPhone that can take Portrait photos (iPhone 7 Plus or later)
- Access to Portrait photos that you've captured
- An Apple Watch running watchOS 8 or later
- An Apple Watch Series 4 or later
How to create a Portraits Apple Watch face
1. Go to the Watch app on your iPhone and open Face Gallery.
2. Scroll down to 'Portraits', then choose the photos you want to turn into a watch face.
3. Once you've found your ideal Portrait photos, select from Classic, Modern or rounded face looks and then choose your complication layout.
4. When you're done customizing, hit the 'Add' button and you have your Portraits watch face.
Apple says that photo watch faces are the most popular choice for Apple Watch owners, so now you know exactly how to get them onto your smartwatch.
How to add an Apple Watch Photos watch face
Works with: Apple Watch SE / SE 2 and Apple Watch Series 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
There are a few ways to do this, with options to create a picture-based watch face from your phone or directly from your Apple Watch.
To set a picture as an Apple Watch from your iPhone, do the following:
1. Go to the 'Photos' on your iPhone.
2. Look for a photo that you want to share with your Watch and press the 'Share' button.
3. Next, scroll down to select 'Create Watch Face', you'll then be given the option to choose the type of watch face you want. You can also adjust colors, the time position and where Complications sit.
4. Once you've finished customizing, press the 'Add' button and the face will sync over to your Watch immediately.
For an alternative way to do this from your iPhone:
1. Go to the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Select 'Face Gallery' and scroll down to Photos.
3. Scroll to the 'Content' section and select 'Photos' to sync over images you want to customize and add to your watch face.
To set a picture as an Apple Watch face from your Watch:
1. Open the Photos app on your Watch.
2. From here, you can see synced photos from your iPhone that you can use to create watch faces.
3. Select your preferred photo and hit the 'Share' button to create a watch face. Just like the iPhone approach, you'll have the option to pick from Kaleidoscope and Photos watch faces.
This feature works with static and live photos, so, if you choose to use the latter, it will add in the animation, which jumps into life when you tap the screen or raise your wrist.