With watchOS 7, Apple has made several updates to see faces and complications for the Apple Watch. We delved into the new watch faces, new and updated complications, and delved into how to share the watch faces.
watchOS 7 has a different user experience for Apple Watch
Before we get into the face, let’s talk about the changes to the user experience that Apple has implemented as part of the upcoming watchOS 7 update.
In watchOS 7, when you’re editing a watch face, it does so with a long wait, rather than a deprecated Force Touch action. This is not all that different and if you try to push firmly it is likely to hold on long enough to invoke the edit user interface anyway.
Once in that editing interface, before choosing a face, you will notice a share button in the lower left corner. The “customize” action has been updated to “edit” under each face.
New complication selector in watchOS 7
When editing those faces, choosing complications is much more elegant and more transparent for the user. Select any complication and the selector will clear the entire screen. As you go, you’ll see a full preview of each complication before choosing them, including curves for the corners of the chronograph face or large dense information for the Modular Infograph. Before watchOS 7, complications were very small and overlapped on the real watch face.
Choosing colors for watch faces with watchOS 7
Apple’s WatchOS 7 also implements an updated interface for choosing colors. As you cycle through the colors of the watch face, not only does the dial itself change and the color name appears below the dial, but a column of colored dots goes up the right side. Here you can see where you are in the color list and what is the before and after shade, which can be helpful when choosing the exact shade of blue you are looking for.
New and updated complications in watchOS 7
Pro chronograph watch
Leaving aside changes to the user experience, there are several new faces and complications to explore. Most notable among the changes is the analog-inspired Chronograph Pro. This mechanical-looking interface is similar to the chronograph, but adds a tachymeter to the center of the face, leaving no room for corner complications.
The colored interior has a variety of shades to choose from, and supports four complications. The tachymeter has several intervals to choose from, ranging from three seconds to 60 seconds.
Using the Chronograph Pro watch tachymeter on watchOS 7
To access the tachymeter, you can only tap directly from the watch face. The lower right corner will start the dial and stop, and the lower left corner will return you to the normal watch face.
Color filters on the watch face Photos
The popular Photos watch face has seemingly endless shades of color to tint the photos you map. Now there are many more ways to show your pride. The colors of the rainbow can be applied to many new faces, including the chronograph and others.
If you’ve used the X-Large watch face, you can now have your own extra large complication in the center, either with a superimposed solid color or the original color of the original complication.
Within those faces are new changes and options for complications. Some, like the Compass complication, have been modified to display additional information.
Others are brand new. This year we have a new shortcut complication, astronomy, and one for sleep mode.
Multiple complications for the Weather application
New this year is the ability to apply the various complications. Within the complications of Apple, you can see this with Shortcuts and Weather. The weather is now divided into specific ones, such as UV index, wind, rain, etc. and the shortcuts are broken down among all the different shortcuts you have in the Shortcuts application. This is ideal for third-party applications and also makes it easier to filter through the list.
How to share clock faces
Clock faces add the necessary customization to the data presented to the user, and they all seem to have their favorites. Until now, there was no way to share this with others outside of a screenshot, but watchOS 7 changes that.
Sharing a watch face on watchOS 7
We have already mentioned the share button above in the new user interface of the edit screen, which is how you can share these faces yourself. To share a watch face:
- Press and hold the face of your Apple Watch
- Play the share button in the lower left corner
- Enter the recipient’s face at the top of the new share screen
- Choose whether or not to include complications
- Optionally, add a message to accompany the shared face
- Tap Send
These faces can not only be shared and received through Messages, but can be found in the App Store, in third-party applications and online. When you touch any of these shared faces, it is added to your face list and will immediately be set as your current face.
Sharing their faces, new faces, and improved complications are just a few of the new features coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 7. Stay tuned for AppleInsider for even more coverage.
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