Can't swipe left for other Apple Watch faces on watchOS 10

Apple has changed the method because too many users were getting accidental swipes changing their watch face. The new method is to Long Press the watch face, so it pops up the option to Edit. Don't pick edit, simply swipe left to right as before.

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

Apple removed this ability in the latest update. You have to long press and go into edit mode to swipe over to a new watch face.

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.

For me it was most convenient as faces have limited space for complications.

Can it be a yes/no on/off somewhere?

Branta_uk wrote:

Apple has changed the method because too many users were getting accidental swipes changing their watch face. The new method is to Long Press the watch face, so it pops up the option to Edit. Don't pick edit, simply swipe left to right as before.

Perhaps do a search of this very forum to see how many other users complained that it was too easy to accidentally change watch faces. So the tap & hold was added before swiping left to intentionally switch watch faces.

[Edited by Moderator]

Now you can do it again.

you cannot switch this option on from your iPhone. You have to open Settings on the Watch itself, scroll down to Clock, and turn on "Swipe to Switch Watch Face."

watchOS 10.2 enable left/right watch face swiping AGAIN!!!

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.

Scroll down and choose “Clock”.

Toggle on the “Swipe to Switch Face” setting.

sweetcbb wrote:

I can’t believe this isn’t an option any longer. Just got new watch and this ios upgrade has instantaneously degraded the watch for me. I agree with many here, I used different faces (with different complications) at different times of the day ie: in different situations. This is a swing and a BIG miss. Shockingly disappointed. Please bring this back!

If you had read this thread, you would know that the option was added back some weeks ago. It was, in fact, noted in the post immediately above yours dated 12/17.

Have you updated watchOS to the latest version? If so, you can find the toggle on the Watch in Settings>Clock.

Hey! This is fixed in some recent release! I am so happy. I had posted the problem to the actual Apple bug reporting place (Product Feedback - Apple, not this forum) and never heard back. But apparently they were listening and now allow the swiping. But I didn't know until...

IdrisSeabright informed us today...

If you had read this thread, you would know that the option was added back some weeks ago. Have you updated watchOS to the latest version? If so, you can find the toggle on the Watch in Settings>Clock.

No. The old swipe to watch face has gone. The old transition was immediate. Now it’s force press (1 second), swipe then tap again. It requires thought and time. A massive backwards step.

BobHarris wrote:

It is unlikely Apple made this change in a vacuum. They frequently make changes to reduce support calls, as that just means frustrated users, and more costs to Apple.

HOWEVER, based on the volume of complaints we are seeing in these forums, I would say Apple did not grasp the outrage that would come their way because of this change.

NOTE: I'm not saying the switch was a good thing. I'm just saying there are reasons why Apple made the changes.

I think that’s on the mark, Bob. The press release clearly described the objectives of the new UI and Navigation in WatchOS10. Basically :- displaying relevant info directly from any watch face - even the new faces with minimal complications - by swiping up to display widgets in a Smart Stack.

Interestingly the Smart Stack doesn’t work from any watch face; it doesn’t work on the Siri face ( introduced in WatchOS4) which displays scrollable “tiles” (think widgets) showing timely information (All Day, Up Next, Tomorrow ) . It appears Apple have been thinking about Watch navigation for 6 years!

My problem with WatchOS10 (and I guess I’m not alone) is that moving from multiple faces with 42 complications to scrollable Widgets based on applications (not complications) feels like a retrograde step, but trying to make multiple faces work (quickly swiping from one to another ) unfortunately no longer works well for me.

My solution (which may not work for everyone) was to use neither the old way (face switching) nor the new way (widgets) but to use one face (Infograph- with 8 favourite complications) and Siri (Voice , not the watch face!)

I wonder if the Siri watch face will survive……. maybe I should use it. I could tap the Siri complication rather than long-pressing the crown.

just my personal perspective. YMMV.

i think ‘touch and hold until you feel the haptic’ is the easiest way to bring up face swiping mode I n Watchos10. Long press or force press for 1 second isn’t necessary

Got it. Long hold allows switch. Great, thanks!

You don’t have to “Long Press”. Try ‘touch and hold’ until you feel the haptic. I find that is slightly easier than long press.

I’m really upset they have removed the easy swiping between watch faces. I use each face for different things. Work, Fitness, Music etc. now it’s really difficult and non intuitive to quickly move to the face I want for the situation I want. Why would this change be forced on us? Please change it back - this is a huge step backwards!

LoloDance wrote:

Ok so put it this way, would you be happy if Apple removed the quick access (swipe right) on the iphone or the folder features, so that instead of using shortcuts that you love and trust you suddenly need to scroll through all your screens and apps to find a single app? No you wouldn't. That's exactly what they've done with this Apple watch update. It's just ludicrous that someone up their hierarchy signed this off as being a good idea, do you not think?

That’s not my understanding from reading the press release (or watching the “event “)

My impression is : The idea behind the new navigation is to give user the info/data/app/complication they need without having to access a different watch face. How well that works is a different discussion.

Here’s the press release link

Introducing watchOS 10, a milestone update for Apple Watch - Apple (NZ)