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After WatchOS 10 update I cannot swipe between watch faces

Not sure if this is just me or did Apple just remove the ability to swipe between watch faces? After updating, the only way to get to the neighboring watch face is to long-press to (brings up the edit button) and then I can move to a neighboring watch face. If that's intentional, that sucks. I use four neighboring faces for different purposes and am swiping between them constantly. This will make using the watch very laborious for me.


If it is not an intentional removal of a critical feature, and it's just me. What do I do to restore that most basic of functions? The watch is a Series 5 white ceramic.


Thanks.


Apple Watch Series 5

Posted on Sep 18, 2023 8:58 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 11, 2023 10:38 AM

WatchOS 10.2 is out and the swipe to change the watch face is now an option to toggle on and off.


Go to Settings>Clock.

580 replies

Sep 26, 2023 5:42 PM in response to KFKING46

KFKING46 wrote:

Disappointed. My other watch face was photos of my deceased daughter. I liked showing her to friends when they ask. The long hold edit doesn’t bring it up even though it is another face I have saved. Boo

oh no, I'm so sorry. That sounds like an actual bug and not simply a UI choice- all my watchfaces are still saved.


I'm realising more and more that due to the customization options of watch faces and the ability to swipe left and right between them so easily, AND crucially also the ability to change the order of watchfaces so it wasn't just whichever one was created first- the watchfaces became a quick access carousel or whatever we'd set up. No "smart" order, no needing to concentrate on precise inputs- just swipe.


It feels like apple went "we have these stack things.. we really want people to use them. let's make them appear on a hair trigger. And let's not let them swipe anywhere else." Because have you noticed the stack thing comes up even if you swipe up from the middle or even top of the screen. I can literally swipe up from the top third of the display and still trigger the stupid smart stack.


I was wondering why I kept triggering it by accident- it's because literally any upwards swipe almost anywhere on the display will do it. I still can't get over the fact that the two things they pin to the top of the stack with apparently no customization ability is.. *checks notes* the time.. the date.. and 'now playing'. Like, I hope they didn't strain themselves too badly when they came up with that list of the most redundant information possible. I'm swiping *away* from my watchface which already has the time and date. What is 'now playing", it's literally in my ears at that very moment, I know what it is, and if I wanted quick access to pausing it, I'd use the controls on the audio device.

So in short, they decided that stacks were better than what everyone had already set up- and instead of adding it and letting people decide which added more value to their experience, they instead confiscated the option to do things the way people had already set up. And replaced a useful gesture that quickly and easily delivered a whole screen of highly customizable content with a screen that is not customizable and is locked into showing only redundant information, half the screen literally shows the same information as every watchface does.


"but then you can keep swiping up.."


no, because "smart" stacks order themselves "smartly" (AKA randomly) based on what the watch thinks your pattern is at that time/location/etc. So you can never simply blindly swipe and know where you're at1- you now always have to look, and if you want to get past the first whole-screen-collection of non-customizable redundant info, you have to be precise.


I actually think the stacks are not a bad idea. I'd love to have the option. Or even compose a watchface out of stacks, with only a tiny digital time at the top. That'd be dope. But the way this is implemented I'd literally rather stay on OS9 forever.

Sep 27, 2023 11:09 AM in response to joecunningham_mpls

Totally agree! Its actually very simple Apple, you put new navigation/menu/functionality it's cool, some will like some not, but also allow people who don't like to be able to use watch as they used to! Simply have checkbox or whatever to enable disable it! Is that so hard? Will you will next update of macos remove for example swipe between screens? Then my macbook is useless for my work! Think about it Apple! Think about it good!

Sep 27, 2023 3:13 PM in response to joecunningham_mpls

The "update" to watchOS 10, especially the loss of this easy way to change watch faces makes me think about how locked in I am in Apples ecosystem and if I really want that anymore? Most of the changes of watchOS10 are nothing I ever wanted and seems to be just for the sake of "change something" - nothing more. I'm really tired of this. Many elder people I recommended the watch are lost with all this "change of buttons" and I kind of regret of recommending them this watch. I'm really frustrated.

Sep 27, 2023 4:01 PM in response to joecunningham_mpls

Yup this is totally dumb. So now you can access max 3 complications?

When I travel (which is a lot) I need to make use of world clock and this needs to be a different watch face.

This is a stupid error they need to fix - can't see how it improves usage. Does anyone seriously ever navigate to the apps and select them? THe controls for the buttons are awful, and the "app" menu is junk. Sorted by alphabet rather than any more useful logic.

Sep 28, 2023 7:24 AM in response to joecunningham_mpls

This is such an annoying change for sure. The only possible benefit I guess is to sage battery life (as I swipe to another faces, it takes about 5 seconds to fetch all the weather data; it used to be displayed immediately, meaning the neighbor faces are in background and ready to show). This might be apple’s effort to save energy and be more green. But!!! Please not to save energy in the watch’s core function! This single reason along prevent me and maybe many others buying another iWatch (well, maybe a good thing to get greener as long as Apple keep making stupid changes).

Sep 28, 2023 7:54 AM in response to Lalimc

OS10 is a mess. Not being able to swipe to others faces is a big mistake. If anyone is like me, I use multiple faces so I can use multiple complications.

All of a sudden I have another issue with the battery draining within two or three hours of taking it off the charger.

If this continues, I will be forced to look at android. Never thought I would do that.

After WatchOS 10 update I cannot swipe between watch faces

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