Apple Watch Face Problem: Fewer Customization Options, More Frustration

Apple Watch Series 10 boasts a larger display, a thinner design, and an exclusive feature: the ability to display continuously updating seconds in always-on mode.

However, despite this advanced capability, only a handful of watch faces support it—highlighting Apple’s frustrating approach to watch face customization.

Limited Watch Face Support

At launch, only three watch faces supported the always-on seconds feature:

• Flux – A digital face with a rising line indicator for seconds
• Reflections – An artistic analog face with a seconds hand but no numerals
• Activity Digital – The only digital face that numerically displays seconds

Apple recently expanded this to four with the introduction of Unity Rhythm in watchOS 11.3, but this still leaves users with few options.

Customization Woes and Removed Faces

Beyond the limited always-on seconds support, Apple has been actively removing certain watch faces, frustrating users who want more, not fewer, customization choices. The beloved Siri Face was eliminated, and there’s no sign of long-requested third-party watch faces.

Users have also expressed concerns about Apple’s “Stack” interface, which requires interaction rather than passively displaying relevant information, as the Siri Face once did.

Will watchOS 12 Fix This?

The ideal solution? Every watch face should support the hardware’s capabilities. Classic analog faces like Utility or California should be updated to support always-on seconds, rather than Apple drip-feeding minor updates each year.

If watchOS 12 doesn’t introduce a broader update, Apple risks alienating users who expect more from a smartwatch that boasts cutting-edge technology yet limits how it can be used.