Apple Watch Ultra comes with a built-in Night Mode that puts a red filter on the display. Keep reading to learn how to use it.

2apple watch ultra night mode
To optimize for evening conditions, Apple Watch Ultra features a ‌Night Mode‌ that turns the interface red and removes retina-altering blue light from the display to ease strain on your eyes in the dark.

On other Apple Watch models, if you look at your watch or accidentally tilt your wrist in the dark, it can impact your night vision. ‌Night Mode‌ on Apple Watch Ultra protects night vision, which can be crucial for explorers and astronomers.

Also it just looks cool in the dark. Here's how to turn it on.

  1. Long press on your watch face to enter the watch face gallery.
  2. If the Wayfinder or Modular Ultra watch face isn't already in your gallery, then add one of them to your collection by swiping all the way to the right and pressing the big + button. (These two faces are specially made for Apple Watch Ultra and feature the exclusive ‌Night Mode‌.)
  3. In the watch face gallery, tap the Edit button on the Wayfinder or Modular Ultra face.
  4. Swipe to the ‌Night Mode‌ option.
  5. Turn the Digital Crown to choose from Auto, On, or Off. (If you set ‌Night Mode‌ to Auto, it will be activated in poor lighting conditions.)
  6. Press the Digital Crown to return to the watch face.

1apple watch ultra night mode

Note that Night Mode only works when the Wayfinder or Modular Ultra watch face is being used – it's an exclusive feature for these two faces and cannot be enabled when any other watch face is displayed.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Top Rated Comments

Supp0rtLinux Avatar
42 months ago
Lots of first responders work nights and need to protect their night vision. Its not just ultra marathoners going for 36 hours straight. Some of us also go camping, hiking, backpacking, etc... we want to preserve our night vision but we don't need an Ultra. Apple really needs to make this available to all watches similar to the Theater Mode.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maccymac42 Avatar
42 months ago
This feature is available on EVERY APPLE DEVICE already.

Go to accessibility and look at colour screen overlay filters. I use the red one when I'm out stargazing all the time. Laughed a lot when this was announced as a feature.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stiksi Avatar
42 months ago
If only Apple had a deep red like that as an available watch face colour on the regular Apple Watch. Really want one for night time.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tenordrum Avatar
42 months ago
As an amateur astronomer, I just wish that the other AW models had this option, as I don't want to impact my or other observers' night vision around me at a star party. I use a very dim setting with red for my current AW5, with the AOD display being off
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hybrid_x Avatar
42 months ago
I wish they'd include this as a standard option for iOS as well. But I found a way to simulate it using the "color overlay" feature under Accessibility settings. It works remarkably well for preserving night vision, sleep quality, and not disturbing those around you in the dark. And it looks cool as hell.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ct2k7 Avatar
42 months ago

So this mode is only for Wayfinder?
> Note that Night Mode only works when the Wayfinder watch face is being used – it's an exclusive feature to Wayfinder and cannot be enabled when any other watch face is displayed.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...