After WatchOS 10 update I cannot swipe between watch faces

Switching Watch faces based on the complications I want at the moment is the number one feature I need.

I just to let Apple know that this change makes the Apple Watch a pointless device for me. I will stop wearing my Watch (and buying new versions) if this feature is not restored in a future update.

The point of Watch faces is that you can set them up for different contexts (Work, Workout, Communicaiton, Weather, Travel, Fancy Event, Casual Event, etc.). The inability to breezily switch between them destroys the usuability of having multiple faces set up in the first place. I hope they fix this right away.

I don't expect Apple to revert the OS any time soon. I would guess that Watch OS 11 may possibly offer something.

I've suggested changing the Share button found in Edit mode to a Lock icon to lock the screen to one's choosing.

But the more I've given this OS update consideration, it's apparent to me that WatchOS is implementing elements that will be found in Vision Pro. So, for them to revert to a usable interface, it would mean negating interactions found in Vision Pro; specifically, the reliance of the crown and the finger tap gesture.

For Vision Pro, a device that's primarily used while stationary and given your full attention, this may make sense. For Apple Watch, a device that's used primarily on the go for quick glances of information, this user experience is a monumental failure.

Accidental swipes (which can still happen) can be avoided by locking the watch in the control centre. Press and hold the Crown to unlock .

That feature was available in vers. 9 so I think this whole issue has nothing to do with accidental swipes and it’s part of Apple’s fundamental rethink of the UE called the New Design Language

Absolutely Joe, how can the new way the user navigates to different faces be described as “simplified navigation”? The Smart Stack is clearly work in progress ; it’s nowhere near good enough to replace easy face switching. There are no widgets for messaging or email. No third party widgets. There’s a limit of 7. Some functions don’t lend themselves to widgets but there’s space for only 3 complications. In my IT days we had a golden rule: Never show the user something half finished.

CasperTsui wrote:

Revert this change and rehire decision makers as this greatly reduces user experience.

Thank you.

This is a user to user technical support forum. Apple is not here.

send your feedback to:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch

I’m considering creating an appointment at the Genius Bar to ask if they can downgrade my watch back to os9.

mb if enough of us ask for that and create a spike in the system, explicitly saying it’s about swiping watch faces…

who knows… 🤗

I was surprised as well, but I do think it’s better for privacy say for example you don’t want your contacts/calendar/photos to be visible in an unsafe area.

however, there should be an option to switch this on or off.

i mostly use only 1 watch face, so i actually enjoy this change. But i have friends who change their watch face few times a day depending on their activity. So Apple should give us the option.

@ Northern-Survivor

I wasn't aware of this, thanks. But nevertheless it makes no sense to kill the swipe function.

a) there are still tons of watch faces with complications. People have them carefully configured an use them.

b) having multiple watch faces is one of the key functions of the Apple watch. Why make it extra hard to switch them? They could have easily added a 'lock' function to prevent them from switching when swiping accidentally. There was no need to kill the swipe function.

Indeed, it makes no sense to kill the swipe function.

a) I was one! I had 6 faces, ( Infograph & Modular). - 42 complications in total. I’ve now got one Infograph face and use Smart Stack, and I’m not impressed.

b) there is a lock function in control centre, intended to prevent accidental changes in wet conditions. Press and hold the crown to unlock.

It's not that easy. If they want to make it an option, lovely, but for those of us who literally never had an issue with accidental swiping, this is a downgrade. I can no longer do switch faces while moving which i find very, very annoying.

now try that with fine motor deficit- you try tapping and holding without triggering something else, without accidentally tapping on edit or share, without looking at the watch, and then again for each face you want to swipe to and back from. That's not doable. This is not just a beloved feature, it's vital for accessibility. it should have a toggle in accessibility.

lol I used this to go to my heart/health stuff watchface. You know, so that I can monitor my heart and such. which incidentally is also when my hands are shaky. Which incidentally I also need to do while walking/cycling/working out, without having to look at the watch.

it's ruined, it's literally ruined what a use the watch for, literally the reason I got it in the first place.

And yes I already submitted feedback and complained to support. Completely unacceptable- it's one thing to change the standard setting it's another to not put a toggle in accessibility for this.

Please submit feedback as they won’t read this forum.

as for reverting to os9- unclear, I asked my local Apple Store and they are going to get back to me. They said that if so it would involve sending the watch away because it can’t be done locally, if at all. Seems odd to me like why wouldn’t they be able to do that but- anyway, I recommend asking. Even if the answer turns out to be no it’s worth a try.

Same here! I use multiple faces because I like quick access to more complications than fit on a single watch face. I hope they change it back. I don’t recall ever accidentally changing my watch face but if it’s a problem at least they should make it a feature you can toggle on and off. Lame.

When you call Apple, they will try to tell you the Smart Stack is a replacement for having several faces. I told them: you can only have 7 widgets and apps availability is very limited, while there are way more complications. Silence on the other side. That silence speaks volumes

tsperr wrote:

I didn’t know you could do that so thanks for the update!

I have been frustrated with it as well! I like to be able to just swipe between watch faces:) I have about 12 or so i like to switch through. How do we get it back to the old way?

You send feedback Apple asking for an option to enable left/right swiping.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch