From tracking your fitness and checking your yearly fitness recap to downloading and installing essential apps that can make your life easier, there are many reasons to like the Apple Watch. There’s also the ability to customize it with different faces that can match your style or mood, and it’s a great way to make the device truly your own. While Apple offers plenty of options you can select, change, and customize, there are plenty of third-party options that can offer much more.

Below is a list of some of the best Apple Watch face apps available within the Apple App Store based on a variety of factors, including user reviews and notable features. Every app that made the cut offers a wealth of different watch face options, but many also offer the ability to create your own. For those who love pop culture, some even offer recognizable names and brands, and more than a few on this list offer some additional perks as well.

We made sure to note when an app offers purchases or subscriptions, but every app on this list is going to allow you to install it for free to get an idea of what’s going on before you spend any money. Like finding a new use for an old Apple Watch, giving something a try isn’t going to hurt anything, but it’s still good to know what you’re getting into before diving in headfirst.

If you’re the type that constantly likes to switch up the look of things, then Clockology by Clockology LLC may be just what you need to give your Apple Watch an aesthetic refresh. There is a vast number of designs available from a large pool of designers, along with the app adding new watch faces and Widgets every day.

One of the really cool things about Clockology is that it offers the ability to create your own watch faces and widgets. You can base your watch faces around elements you want to see, and the Clockology app even offers options for exporting your designs, allowing you to share them with the world or download creations designed by other users. There are options for adding video, sound, device information, and weather. It also supports HealthKit, so you can view your activity goals as your Apple Watch helps you train for your first 5K.

Currently sitting in the Apple App Store with a 4.8-star rating and 49,000 reviews, users give the app high praise for its large selection of watch faces, new software updates, and timely responses from the company concerning issues. However, some users do note that there is a learning curve to developing your own faces and widgets, and learning all the ins and outs of editing may take some time. Clockology requires iOS 16.2 or later and watchOS 10 or later, and while it is free to download, be aware that there are monthly and yearly subscription options.

There’s a lot of Apple Watch faces that are provided by default — including four new ones that arrived with watchOS 26 – but, if you’re a fan of brands or famous characters, the stock Watch app is going to have slim pickings. At the time of this writing, Apple offers one face for Mickey Mouse, one for Snoopy from “Peanuts,” and six Nike-related ones. This isn’t a bad selection, but Watch Faces by Facer from Little Labs, Inc. offers so much more.

Offering over 500,000 options, Facer has officially licensed faces from a variety of popular brands and IPs. This includes familiar names like “Popeye,” “Ghostbusters,” “Street Fighter,” “Tetris,” “Star Trek,” and the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Along with boasting one of the largest collections of faces in the world, the app also offers the option to create your own, including the ability to contact the company about selling your own premium designs.

In the Apple App Store, Facer holds a solid 4.6-star rating with 54,000 reviews. Users give the app praise for its large selection of faces and are pleased with the quality of the app. However, some users do note that navigating through all the faces can be a challenge, and at least one review requested a dark mode. Nonetheless, if you’re running iOS 15 or later and watchOS 9 or later and love to have a lot of licensed options, Facer is worth checking out. The baseline experience is free, though the app does offer several paid premium tiers. Some premium faces may cost extra as well.

An app that offers thousands of different watch faces to choose from is great for selecting a style that suits you, but a dedicated watch face app with a large library to choose from feels like it should be expected. The cool thing about Buddywatch – Watch Faces from BUDDY SRLS is that it has a couple of small details that help it stand out from apps that have similar offerings.

The app has a large selection of faces, including the ability to create your own, but Buddywatch also dives a bit deeper into its selections. If you can’t find a face you like, BuddyAI can help you generate one.  A great aspect about Buddywatch is the number of suggestions that it offers, which can be great when staring down a massive collection of different options. Buddywatch offers suggestions based on your preferences, and it can make watch face recommendations based on what watch band you’re wearing.

Holding a 4.7-star rating with 8,400 reviews, users like the app for helping them find the perfect watch face for their device, though at least one user reports having issues with the Apple Watch recognition feature. However, the app is free, so you can decide for yourself. Buddywatch requires iOS 14 or later along with watchOS 11 or later, and there are in-app purchases involved, including monthly and weekly subscriptions.

Watch Faces by MobyFox from MobyFox Inc. is for those looking for a good watch face app, but are also on the hunt for officially licensed content. Along with offering over 2,500 watch faces and adding new content weekly, MobyFox’s app also offers a collection of faces from a variety of popular names and brands, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a watch face that fits your personality within this app.

“Stranger Things,” “Rick and Morty,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and “Harry Potter” are a few of the brands available through MobyFox, and the app also provides plenty of unique and original designs. MobyFox makes it easy to customize watch faces, allowing you to add complications in just a few taps. What’s also cool is that many watch faces can offer different modes and dynamic motions, making for some cool options and choices.

So long as you’re running iOS 16 or later and watchOS 8 or later, you’ll be good to go to use MobyFox, and the app holds a respectable 4.7-star rating with 12,000 reviews. Folks leaving reviews within the App Store appreciate the selection of watch faces from pop culture and customization options. However, some negative reviews do seem to find the app difficult to navigate at times. Regardless, this can be a solid option for those who love popular characters, though this free app does have in-app purchases, including a weekly subscription and charges for premium faces.

If you’re looking for one of the largest collections of watch faces while still using an app that’s highly reviewed, then the one million watch face offerings that Watch Faces Gallery n Widgets by Appdrove LLC provides is certainly going to scratch that itch. Focusing on a large variety of themes and features, the faces available within this don’t just focus on holidays and pop culture, but also focus on Apple Watch features folks can actually use, like health monitoring and fitness tracking. Considering all the Apple Watch features that can help with heart care, the health monitoring features may be a big benefit for some.

Along with offering a massive selection of watch faces, this app also offers some additional useful perks, including the ability to create custom Apple Watch wallpapers and even the ability to play games directly on your device. With new items being added daily, the app boasts that it supports all Apple Watches, though you will need iOS 15 or later, as well as watchOS 8 or later.

Nonetheless, the app sports a 4.6-star rating with 4,000 reviews. Users appreciate the app’s customization options, ease of use, and quick customer support. However, some users do report having issues with managing certain app permissions that certain watch faces may require. The app is free to install, but it does offer in-app purchases, including access to Watch Faces Gallery Pro and Wizard, as well as a premium lifetime license.

Even if an app is free to check out, we at BGR still like to ensure that you’re downloading nothing but a quality app to your device. We’ve scoured the Apple App Store for apps that are highly rated and have thousands, if not tens of thousands, of reviews. We’ve taken a close look at what users have said about the app, and we want to ensure that you’re never downloading anything malicious or useless. Each app on this list has been given a seal of approval by the community surrounding it, and each one is going to have something worth your time.