The Apple Watch may have a small screen, but it's still large enough to show off those pictures of your little one's dance recital to the grandparents. As long as you've got an album synced from your iPhone, you can even view pictures while your smartphone is out of range.

apple_watch_photos
To help you get the most out of your photo viewing experience, we've put together this tutorial to explain how to set up and customize the Photos app on Apple Watch

Create an Album in Photos on iPhone

The first step to getting the most important pictures on your Apple Watch is to create an album for it in your Photos app on iPhone.

  1. Open the Photos app on the iPhone and select "Albums." Then tap the add icon (+) to create a new one.
  2. Name the new album. For simplicity, I named mine Apple Watch Photos.
  3. Select the photos you wish to add to the album and select done.

apple_watch_photos_setup

Sync an Album to Apple Watch

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and navigate to My Watch.
  2. Scroll down and select the Photos app from the list.
  3. Tap Synced Album. Then select your newly created Apple Watch album.
  4. Photos will automatically sync with your Apple Watch and be available to view, even when your iPhone is out of range.

You can also select a preexisting album instead. You might prefer the immediacy of syncing with your Camera Roll or Photo Stream for currently added pictures instead. The Apple Watch Photos app is defaulted to your Favorites album.

Manage Photo Storage

You can customize how many photos you want synced to your Apple Watch for more control over how much room they take up. Select from 25 to 500 photos or five to 75 MB of storage space.

Apple Watch Photos App 4

Use Photos App to View a Synced Album

Apple Watch Photos 1Once you've synced an album to Apple Watch, view the pictures on your wrist via the Photos app. When you open it, the first screen will be a collage of all pictures in your album. Rotate the Digital Crown to zoom in.

Tap a picture to view it full screen. Use the Digital Crown to zoom in closer. Drag your finger on the screen to pan. Double Tap to fill the screen. Double-tap again to see the full picture. You can browse your album by swiping to the left or right to switch between photos.

Now that you know how to set up and customize your Photos app on Apple Watch, showing off important moments in your life will be simple.

When Apple updates watchOS to version 2 later this year, we will also be able to view videos from within the Photos app and use single photos or photo albums as backgrounds for watch faces.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

DavidTheExpert Avatar
132 months ago
Can I make a request? I would really like to see a tutorial on how to view the time on the Apple Watch. I've had this thing for over a month and I still can't figure out how to make it show me the date and time. Is there some hidden setting?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
captain cadet Avatar
132 months ago
Or just pull your phone out to show people on a screen that they can actually see your face on...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UnfetteredMind Avatar
132 months ago
I have to agree with captain cadet, unless you don't have your phone with you, why wouldn't you just take out the iPhone to which the :apple:Watch is tethered to show the pics? Maybe for very brief encounters where you don't even want to bother pulling out the phone (but then maybe it's not even worth trying to show the pic in the first place).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Noble Actual Avatar
132 months ago
Please...do not use your Watch to show some pictures when you can just use your iPhone or iPad.

Its so damn small. And it's common knowledge that as you grow older, your eyesight gets worse. They probably can't even see it. Showing it on the iPad...now that's a magical and beautiful experience.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doelcm82 Avatar
132 months ago
How to view photos on the Apple Watch.

* Bring up a photo on the Watch screen.
* Orient your eyes so that they are both directed at the watch
* Orient the watch so that the screen is facing your eyes
* Focus your eyes so that the watch face is sharp (optional lenses worn over or in contact with your eyes not included)
* View the photo.

I am the proud owner of an Apple Watch, but I haven't yet seen one in person. Mine is "On Vehicle for Delivery Today".
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pubwvj Avatar
132 months ago
A more useful guide to these things:

https://www.apple.com/watch/built-in-apps/

https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1708/en_US/apple_watch_user_guide.pdf

Perhaps this is where MacRumors Bot is skimming from...

How about skipping the fake how-to click-bait and stick to real rumors that we care about...

And if you don't like complaints about bad articles just skip the comments complaining about them.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Prime Day Deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Monday July 7, 2025 10:55 am PDT by
Amazon is back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront. With the event now underway, we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a...