watchOS 10.2 Beta Reintroduces Option to Change Apple Watch Faces With a Swipe

The third watchOS 10.2 beta that Apple released this week reintroduces an Apple Watch feature for swapping watch faces that was initially removed with the upgrade to watchOS 10.

apple watch ultra blue
Users can now choose to use a swipe gesture to switch the active Apple Watch face by enabling the option in the Apple Watch Settings app. With the feature turned on, swiping left or right on the watch face scrolls through the available watch faces that have been set up.

Switching watch faces with a swipe gesture was the default in watchOS 9, but Apple updated the interaction because of complaints that it was too easy to accidentally change watch faces. The current gesture requires long pressing before swiping to change the active watch face.


With watchOS 10.2, Apple Watch owners who preferred the prior method of changing their watch faces can choose to enable the setting if desired. The option is under Settings > Clock in the third beta.

watchOS 10.2 is available to both developers and public beta testers at this time, and it is expected to see a public launch in December.

Related Roundup: watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...

Top Rated Comments

29 months ago
THANK YOU! This change has bothered me SO much.
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cobra Kai Avatar
29 months ago
How about they let give us our side button back. Why they moved control center (something I don’t even use) to the side button and removing the ability to have a favorites dock is beyond me. Feels like this years OS’s updates have been worse.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Osxguy Avatar
29 months ago
Unpopular option but the push side button for control center is stupid!!! What happened in the watch team? Like a new team came in and made unnecessary changes? I’d understand it if it wasn’t a swipe for all the rest of the devices but it’s always been a swipe. At least make it a customizable option.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
29 months ago

Really don't know why they changed it, it was perfect for many years. The layout is now stupid, you scroll the crown up for the smart stack, swipe up for the smart stack and tap your fingers for the smart stack on the newer watches, so three ways to get to the same damn thing ?‍♂️

And then they moved the control center swipe up to the side button which I still hate, ridiculous change.

I would have had it like this, swipe up for the control center as it used to be, crown up for the smart stack and finger tap for the smart stack.

And as as the side button on a single press now does nothing, maybe we could customise it to make it a second shortcut button. Or we could press the side button once to bring up the apps instead of double pressing the crown which is annoying.
Best option of all: Let the user customize what button does what function.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
29 months ago

Unpopular option but the push side button for control center is stupid!!! What happened in the watch team? Like a new team came in and made unnecessary changes? I’d understand it if it wasn’t a swipe for all the rest of the devices but it’s always been a swipe. At least make it a customizable option.
Totally agree. As if they find that the side button is used too rarely and purposefully force us to use it.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
29 months ago
Agree with others .... pointless change and glad it's back.

And also agree with changing side button back to a dock and swipe up for CC .... absolute numpty changes!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)