How to Change the Color of Apple Watch Series 3's Red Digital Crown - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Change the Color of Apple Watch Series 3's Red Digital Crown

While the new Apple Watch Series 3 looks virtually identical to Series 2, the cellular models feature a red Digital Crown.

apple watch watchdots

Apple Watch Series 2 with green WatchDots stickers on right

Fortunately, for those who plan on upgrading but don't like the color choice, it can easily be changed with WatchDots.

WatchDots are tiny, vinyl stickers that cover the Digital Crown and Side button. They're available in a wide variety of colors, including white, black, midnight blue, yellow, orange, gold, sport green, sport blue, sport pink, fog, walnut, antique white, magenta, and other band-matching options.

MacRumors editor Juli Clover reviewed WatchDots a few years ago and was generally positive about the way they looked and held up:

My WatchDots have been on my Apple Watch for about two weeks now and they're looking as good as new. There's been no peeling, even when my watch has gotten wet, and using the Digital Crown and side button a lot hasn't affected them. Since this is a review, I put on and removed several sets of WatchDots, and I can safely say they're not going to cause any damage to your watch. You can peel them right off with a fingernail, but like most vinyl stickers, they're not reusable.

She did experience some residue left behind once, several months after removing the WatchDots, but your mileage may vary.

WatchDots come in sets of three for $9.99, with free shipping within the United States.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black Touch ID

Apple Watch Series 12 Launching in September With These New Features

Monday July 20, 2026 1:00 pm PDT by
With the Apple Watch Series 12 now just two months away, we have created a recap of rumored new features, with some more likely than others. Below, we have outlined everything rumored so far for the Apple Watch Series 12. More Likely New Chip After One-Year Hiatus While the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3 all contain the same S10 chip as the previous...
apple watch rescue

Apple Shares Apple Watch SOS Success Story

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:26 am PDT by
Apple today highlighted the SOS feature in the Apple Watch, publishing a short video featuring a man named Phil, who crashed while mountain biking. Phil was biking with his two young children when he had an accident and was knocked unconscious. His Apple Watch detected the fall, calling emergency services and alerting his wife. He ended up breaking his collarbone and seven ribs, but was...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

What to Expect From Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

Sunday July 26, 2026 8:07 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 this year. Spoiler alert: not very much. While it was rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch Series 12, Gurman said he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. Touch ID probably counts ...

Top Rated Comments

Ds6778 Avatar
116 months ago
Do they have anything to cover the iPhone X notch?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
116 months ago
Or you can get a pack of 1600 for $6: https://smile.amazon.com/Round-Coding-Stickers-Different-Colors/dp/B01K8JL5DS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1505742554&sr=8-6&keywords=dot+stickers

Seriously, $10 for 3 stickers?
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
116 months ago
There's no buttering this up: Apple made the crown red so that others would know you have the 'more expensive' LTE Apple Watch. It's why they make iPhones with external features unique to a new device - just so you may feel relieved in that others know you have 'the new one'.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
116 months ago
Can't believe they put a red dot on the watch
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
116 months ago
Stickers? Psssh.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
116 months ago
There's no buttering this up: Apple made the crown red so that others would know you have the 'more expensive' LTE Apple Watch. It's why they make iPhones with external features unique to a new device - just so you may feel relieved in that others know you have 'the new one'.
This is true everywhere in products we buy.

Buyers of lower-level luxury products actually WANT to have bigger logos and identifying features to show other people they have a luxury product.

The logo on the front of a Mercedes is largest on their least expensive models, and gets smaller as the models go up in price. This is done for that very reason.

Luxury handbags also have statistically larger logos on the lower end models, where the very high end models have none. People that buy a $200 purse want everyone to know they have a pricey purse. People who buy a $5,000 purse don't need to advertise that fact because others who know what it is don't need a big logo to know.

This is a buying behavior marketers are well aware of and they design products to allow users to show off what they've got.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)