How to customize the clock face in iOS 26?

Eva Lai wrote:

I don’t have the edit button after I hold down the clock app. Why is that? Thanks

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/15a84803-83c3-4ce3-aadd-cfd7885ad3b8

That's because you can't change how the Clock App looks in iOS 26. The App icon is the App icon Apple chose and it can't be changed.

If you really want the icon to look different, you can create a shortcut and make the icon look the way you want, but change the actual app icon, you cannot.

Here is how to create an App icon shortcut --> https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250011008

Mini clock can’t be changed, so I added a Widget to the first home screen. One of the choices is the original clock face. Tap and hold home screen until apps vibrate; tap Edit, Add Widget and add the clock face you want as a widget on the home screen.

george57l wrote:

Those options do not exist on my iPad. And analogue to digital does not change the actual clock design, sadly.

You CANNOT change the icon for the clock app. You CAN add a widget to the screen.

Customize apps and widgets on the iPad Home Screen - Apple Support

agnyc wrote:

One workaround that was liveable for me was to simply move the clock app out of sight and instead use the large clock widget. Tapping it brings you to the same clock settings as the app.

(They also need to change the app itself - stopwatches and timers need their own apps, alarms need to be turnoffable by Siri and more customizable for number of repeata and turnoff gestures, and we need periodic chimes.)

There are separate icons for stopwatch, timer and alarms in the Control Center. They open the clock app to the chosen function directly.

Robin Bonathan wrote:

you still cant show the swiss clock face.

You cannot change the icon for the clock app.

You can let Apple know that's something you'd like to see here:

Product Feedback - Apple

Put the suggestion in the iPhone section.

"How to customize the clock face in iOS 26?: Is there a way to change the clock face in iOS 26, it looks very old fashioned ?"

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Thank you for the screenshot.

Changing the Clock App Face:

No. The icon is what it is. But, if you refer a different type of clock face, then use a specific app: ClockPhone big digital clocks on the App Store

Recommend this to Apple:

Do your Part: Report this to Apple. Apple may not get back to you directly, but the more feedback Apple receives on this, the more they will know what is their customers prefer, and what and what features to include in updates to come. Apple will know nothing of your ideas, if you don't provide them with them.

1. Go Here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple
2. Select: "Feature Request" for the "Feedback Type"
3. Comment: that you want this to be an option and why. Include the URL to this thread.
4. Proceed from there as necessary

Of the options discussed here the best one is to create a shortcut to the clock using the shortcut app. Search for open app and select the clock app from the app drop down then choose an icon and colour and add to the Home Screen. I now have a visible purple alarm clock next to my invisible white clock face Apple icon and they both open the clock app! (I couldn’t follow the instructions from another response so I used duck AI to help me out with the steps. It’s very patient haha)

One workaround that was liveable for me was to simply move the clock app out of sight and instead use the large clock widget. Tapping it brings you to the same clock settings as the app.

(They also need to change the app itself - stopwatches and timers need their own apps, alarms need to be turnoffable by Siri and more customizable for number of repeata and turnoff gestures, and we need periodic chimes.)

agnyc wrote:

One workaround that was liveable for me was to simply move the clock app out of sight and instead use the large clock widget. Tapping it brings you to the same clock settings as the app.

(They also need to change the app itself - stopwatches and timers need their own apps, alarms need to be turnoffable by Siri and more customizable for number of repeata and turnoff gestures, and we need periodic chimes.)

Tell Apple what you think they need to do. You haven't done so here on this user to user only forum.

Feedback to Apple goes here --> https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone/

People with impaired vision can just add a clock widget such as this one:

Or this one:

No, that is the fixed icon for the clock app. At one time it didn’t even show the actual time. But there are 9 built in app widgets, and probably a hundred 3rd party.

Gd56 wrote:

I agree - there’s a multitude of clock faces for the watch, it can’t be hard to supply some options for IOS 26, including the previous easy to read version. Perhaps also an option to double the size of just that particular icon for users with poorer eyesight or users who just want the clock to stand out and get their attention.

Telling other users on a user to user only forum what you think should be easy, get's you nowhere. We aren't Apple here and Apple doesn't participate here, nor read for user feedback. If you want to tell Apple what you think they should do, use this link --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

I found this answer in Google. I found the “Shortcuts” pre-loaded app on my iPhone (running iOS 26.0.1) and used it to make a shortcut to “toggle alarms” - this made a new “app” on my Home Screen (which is really just a link to my alarms that I had in my Clock app). And it let me choose my own emoji & color for this new link’s icon! So now it’s a cute clock emoji and I put it where my “Clock” used to be (& moved the clock to the last page of my Home Screen, where I’ll never have to look at it again!) Yay! :D

Ptaret wrote:

@Tamkatseki. How did you manage to change the font on the lock screen clock? Thank you.

• Change the look of the clock: Drag the bottom right corner to increase the height, then tap the time to change the font, switch to a more transparent look, and more.

Robin Bonathan wrote:

we are talking iPhone here, not iPad widget is too big.

My apologies for posting the wrong link:

How to add and edit widgets on your iPhone - Apple Support

But the process is pretty much the same.