I cannot change watch face by swiping after upgrading to WatchOS 10

If your Apple Watch does not permit press-to-change-faces (as documented, and as was confirmed working here), un-pair and re-pair from the iPhone and try the press-to-change again, and if that fails contact Apple Support.

The press-to-change-faces press is a bit firmer and needs to be held a bit longer AFAICT, but it works the same as it always has.

morc_37 wrote:

Thanks for the helpful suggestion. I had not found this option. The press -hold is long enough that it is hard to find by accident.

(This process is easier that the alternatives but not as easy as it was in previous operating systems.)

From a previous reply here:

Press and swipe to change faces works fine. I use it heavily. The initial press is a bit longer than it once was.

See 2:30 here:

It is understandable to feel frustrated about the removal of the swipe feature to change watch faces in watchOS 10. Many users have expressed their disappointment in online forums and communities, stating that the swipe feature was a natural and intuitive gesture that made it easy to switch between watch faces. Some users have even suggested that the removal of this feature was a step in the wrong direction and that it should be brought back.

While it is true that the long-press gesture introduced in watchOS 10 can be useful in preventing accidental changes to the watch face, it can also be inconvenient for users who are used to the swipe gesture. Additionally, the long-press gesture can be difficult for some users to perform, especially those with mobility or dexterity issues.

It is important for technology companies like Apple to listen to their users and take their feedback into account when making changes to their products. While it may not be possible to bring back the swipe feature in watchOS 10, Apple could consider adding it back in future updates or providing users with the option to choose between the swipe and long-press gestures.

Overall, it is understandable to feel frustrated about the removal of the swipe feature to change watch faces in watchOS 10. However, it is important to remember that technology is constantly evolving, and changes are often made to improve the user experience.

ilittlewood wrote:

No it isn't - it's a pain that massively reduces the utility of the device. When you have multiple faces setup to show different information and want to quickly look at multiple screens, the Click-hold-swipe, Click-hold-swipe, Click-hold-swipe just makes it not worth the effort because something that took 2-3s now takes in excess of 10.

It's an absolutely ABYSMAL interface change.

Provide a lock, by all means, but fast-swiping is essential.

I do not need to justify my dislike of the old skid-through-the-faces-at-random behavior any more than you need to justify your dislike of the new press-and-hold-to-confirm-face-change behavior.

Again, send your feedback to Apple.

OS10.2 is being rolled out today and tomorrow.

Watch, Settings,Clock, Swipe to switch watch face, On

Thanks for the helpful suggestion. I had not found this option. The press -hold is long enough that it is hard to find by accident.

(This process is easier that the alternatives but not as easy as it was in previous operating systems.)

I don't think several of you realize you could change your watch face just by swiping left or right and don't understand. Here's an example: I have 3 different watch faces I switch(ed) between. One for every day that has weather, calendar, messages. A second for walking/running which has my rings, exercise app shortcut, and music shortcut. And a third for swimming, which has bigger rings so I can see in water, exercise app shortcut, and timer shortcut. It's a feature that was taken away. And yes, we all know how to change them the other ways, but it was so easy to just swipe left or right.

No it isn't - it's a pain that massively reduces the utility of the device. When you have multiple faces setup to show different information and want to quickly look at multiple screens, the Click-hold-swipe, Click-hold-swipe, Click-hold-swipe just makes it not worth the effort because something that took 2-3s now takes in excess of 10.

It's an absolutely ABYSMAL interface change.

Provide a lock, by all means, but fast-swiping is essential.

As the new hold is about 1 second and was previously zero seconds, that is a change ratio of 1/0 and we all know how big a change that is. 😎

Edit mode, not exit

Then the fix should be to allow those people the ability to lock the screen to one of their choosing. The solution is NOT to cripple the user interface to the point that the device no longer serves the purpose it was intended to do.

I have owned an Apple Watch since the first one was released. Not one time in the seven years that this function has existed have I EVER accidentally swiped to a different watch face. And, if I had, the solution to that is to simply flick your finger to select the preferred face.

Everyone is well aware that now to change a watch face you must invoke the Edit interface. For those who use the device to review the data presented on 4, 5, 6 different watch faces at a moment's glance, this has turned a two second interaction into something that takes well over ten seconds. This new burden that people face dozens of times a day make the device practically useless. The operating system is now standing in the way of accomplishing the primary purpose of the device.

Handicapping the operating system to solve an occasional mild annoyance is NOT the solution.

Not once have I ever accidentally swiped off the screen I was using. Crippling this feature in favour of a long-hold and swipe SEVERELY impacts the utility of the device. I had 5 faces set up for different purposes and swiping between them was extremely useful. The new approach is simply unusable by comparison. The solution would have been to allow people to lock to a particular face rather than completely cripple the UI for everyone.

try reading

After WatchOS 10 update I cannot swipe be… - Apple Community

This is an infuriating change primarily because the left/right swipe gesture has simply been disabled rather than replaced with some other effect. It's just not there anymore and there's no discernible reason for its absence.

brettf1200 wrote:

It's just not there anymore and there's no discernible reason for its absence.

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people complained about how annoying it was. I know I did. I hated looking down at my watch to discover the face had gotten accidentally changed.

You can send feedback to Apple here:

Product Feedback - Apple