The 6 Best Wear Watch Faces of 2023
Tom Wilton has been a freelance filmmaker and writer since 2012. His work has appeared in VideoFilmmaker, The Big Issue, and others. He’s also been a consultant for CBS.
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Wear (formerly Android Wear and Wear OS) is Google’s smartwatch operating system, helping users handle notifications, apps, and more all from their wrist. Wear devices come from many manufacturers with many designs, but it’s also easy to customize your Wear device with a unique watch face. Here’s a look at some of the most unique, popular, functional, and fun Wear watch faces. Check them out and see which is suitable for your wrist.
If you have an Apple Watch, it’s easy to switch up your watch faces there, as well.
Best for Personalization: PhotoWear Watch Face
PhotoWear Watch Face uses your favorite images as your watch face. Choose one image or create a photo grid with up to nine shots. The app pulls your photo options from your camera roll or your most recent Instagram uploads.
The app has some image-editing features for photo customization, including crop, contrast, and brightness tools. It also has an array of image filters to play with, so you can give all your photos a specific look or customize one.
PhotoWear Watch Face is free to download and use, and there’s a paid pro version that unlocks more customization options.
Download For:
Best for Simple, Stunning Images: ustwo Watch Faces
Some users appreciate a wide array of complications or Rapid access to their apps and contacts, but others want something that looks clean and fresh on their wrist. ustwo Watch Faces offers a stunning collection of watch faces with personalization options and an easy-to-use interface.
From the contrasting colors of Invert to the minimalist Stadium, there’s a style for everyone. While the FOCUS is on beautiful design, some of the watch faces do offer a few extras. For example, Zodiac gives you dual time zones, and Museum also displays the date.
ustwo is free to download and use.
Download For:
Best for Features and Functionality: Bubble Cloud Wear Tile Launcher/Watchface
Bubble Cloud Wear Tile Launcher/Watchface is an excellent product with tons of features and great manufacturer support, helping you stay in touch with your contacts while having quick access to all your Wear apps.
The watch face lets you create a slew of pages where you can pin your apps and contacts. This is especially useful for creating groups of complications, such as tasks and note-keeping apps, as well as clusters of friends, such as frequent contacts and family members.
If you already have a watch face you like, use Bubble Cloud as a launcher only. Slide it in from the side and replace your smartwatch’s standard launcher.
This app is free to download and use, but you need to pay for some features through an in-app purchase.
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Best for Time-Tracking: Timr Face
At first glance, this is a nice-looking, minimalist watch face that seems to have limited functionality. But if you take a closer look, you see a moving ruler in the bottom half of the display, closely tracking each passing second. If you’re somebody who needs to watch the seconds as well as minutes and hours (think interval training or cooking), this may be exactly what you need.
Additionally, there are options to change the color swatch with 11 variations for the slider and three options for the background display. Timr Face blends simple design with rich time-tracking functionality. This app is free to download and use, with additional features available as in-app purchases.
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Best for Runners and Hikers: GPS Tracker
As the name suggests, this is a GPS tracking app for your Wear device that can also serve as a watch face. Aimed at those with walking or running in mind, GPS Tracker helps users see how many miles they’ve covered at a glance. It also offers quick complications to view your current location, launch a map, check travel speed, and more. Quick functions for music playback and sharing stats add to the feature set.
If you’re happy with your current watch face, add GPS Tracker as a complication, and you’ll get easy access to all its features. This app is free to download and use, with additional features available as in-app purchases.
Download For:
Best for Nostalgic Nerds: DosFace Watch Face
What better way to dress up your modern smartwatch than to give it a 1981 theme? This DOS-inspired look is retro and fun for nostalgic nerds or anyone who appreciates its cool feel. There are several to choose from, including the classic terminal and the infamous blue screen of death.
Opt to display time in 24-hour or 12-hour formats, and tap the display to show your smartwatch battery level. The app is 0.99 to download and use with no other purchases needed.
Download For:
Pixel watch face
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Google’s first-ever smartwatch, the Pixel Watch, is shipping to customers. The week-long pre-order period just ended, and it didn’t take long for the official watch faces of the Pixel Watch to become available for download via third-party websites. Even better, these Google-made watch faces for the Pixel Watch seemingly work with other Wear OS 3 smartwatches. And, of course, this includes the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Watch 5 lineups.
Samsung smartwatch users wanting to get a taste of the Pixel Watch experience without abandoning the superior hardware of the Galaxy Watch lineup can now download the Pixel’s watch faces via APKMirror. You can get a preview of Google’s watch faces in the image gallery below. (via @MishaalRahman, @Quinny898, @MaxWinebach).
Given that the first Google smartwatch uses the chipset Samsung used a couple of years ago and considering the poorer battery life of the Pixel Watch, it’s doubtful that many Galaxy Watch 4/5 users will be in a rush to switch to Google’s first smartwatch. Thankfully, even people who may have fallen in love with Google’s watch faces don’t have to make that sacrifice and abandon Samsung’s wearables.
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How to Get Google Pixel Watch Faces on Samsung Galaxy Watch
Google announced its brand-new Pixel Watch in an attempt to revive Wear OS smartwatches and take on the Apple Watch. One of the key selling points of the Pixel Watch is its beautiful design. While the hardware partially contributes to this, the software — mainly the Pixel Watch faces — makes it a visual treat.
If you like the watch faces on the Pixel Watch but have a Samsung Galaxy Watch already, you’re in luck. Here’s how to get the Pixel Watch faces on your Samsung Galaxy Watch by performing a few simple steps. You can thank us later for saving your money!
Types of Pixel Watch Faces
The Pixel Watch has 18 default watch faces and you can get all of them on your Samsung Galaxy Watch. From the Pixel minimal watch face with concentric circles to the analog dial with complications, you can choose your favorite look.
What’s even better is that apart from looks, the watch faces also have the same animations that you find on the Pixel Watch, a cherry on top!
Which Galaxy Watch Models Are Compatible With Pixel Watch Faces
Since the Pixel Watch runs Wear OS 3, only Galaxy Watches that run the same version of Wear OS are compatible with the Pixel Watch faces. This means, there are currently 4 Galaxy Watch variants that you can install these new watch faces on. They are –
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
If you have any of these Samsung watches, you can use the Pixel Watch face on them.
How to Install Pixel Watch Faces on Your Galaxy Watch
All 18 watch faces from the Pixel Watch are combined into a single app that you can install on your Galaxy Watch. Once installed, you can view and set any Pixel Watch face of your liking. Just follow the procedure mentioned below and you should get the app installed on your phone with a few taps.
Step 1: Download the latest version of the Google Pixel Watch Faces (Wear OS) app via APKMirror. Download the app on your computer/laptop since it makes the process easier. Note that this app has been made available straight from Google and is hence, safe to use.
Step 2: Once the APK file is downloaded onto your computer, transfer it to the watch to install the app. If you haven’t done this before or are unaware of the procedure, check our detailed guide on how to install APKs on Wear OS smartwatches.
Step 3: Once you’ve installed the app on your Galaxy Watch, it’s time to view the watch faces. Open the Galaxy Wearable app on the smartphone with which your Galaxy Watch is paired.
While you can view the installed faces on the watch too, we suggest doing it on your smartphone to view multiple watch faces simultaneously.
Step 4: Navigate to the Watch faces tab. Here, scroll down to the Downloaded section.
This is where you will see all the installed Pixel Watch faces. Scroll through them and pick the one you like.
Step 5: Once you’ve decided which watch face you want to set, tap on it.
The selected watch face will now be set on your Galaxy Watch.
If you wish to set a different watch face, scroll through the options and tap on the one you want to change to.
How to Customize Pixel Watch Faces on the Galaxy Watch
Now that you’ve set a watch face of your choice, you would want to customize it to look the way you want it to. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Set a watch face of your choice via the Galaxy Wearable app as shown in the above steps.
Step 2: Once a watch face is set, tap on the Customize button. You can find it below the set watch face.
Step 3: Choose the different aspects of the watch face from here like color, layout, complications, etc.
Step 4: Tap on Save once you’re happy with the selected watch face. The changes will be applied to your Galaxy Watch.
You can try using all 18 Pixel Watch faces to see which one you like the best!
FAQs for Installing Pixel Watch Faces on Galaxy Watch
The answer to this question depends on which watch face you use. If you’re using a watch face with lots of animations and complications, it will drain more battery.
Yes, the watch faces work with always on display. However, they don’t update or refresh when in the always-on state. You will have to tap on the screen or lift your wrist for the AOD to refresh which isn’t ideal.
Convert Your Galaxy Watch Into a Pixel Watch
While you can’t change the hardware on your Galaxy Watch, you can change the software on it to make it look exactly like the new Google Pixel Watch. Just a few taps and you can get Pixel Watch faces on your Samsung Galaxy Watch to enjoy a fresh new look.
Last updated on 31 October, 2022
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Pixel Watch Hands-On: Fitbit’s Wear OS Debut Highlights Google’s First Smartwatch
Starting at 350, Google’s first smartwatch has a lot of potential.
Lisa Eadicicco is a senior editor for CNET covering mobile devices. She has been writing about technology for almost a decade. Prior to joining CNET, Lisa served as a senior tech correspondent at Insider covering Apple and the broader consumer tech industry. She was also previously a tech columnist for Time Magazine and got her start as a staff writer for Laptop Mag and Tom’s Guide.
Google’s 350 (£339, AU549) Pixel Watch is the first smartwatch to come directly from the company following years of developing the Wear OS operating system that powers other smartwatches. It’s also the first Wear OS smartwatch to feature Fitbit’s fitness tracking, which has been anticipated ever since Google acquired Fitbit. Making its debut at last week’s Pixel fall event alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones, the watch features a rounded design and dark menus, and may possibly also point toward the future of Fitbit and Android wearables.
The announcement comes Google’s tease of the Pixel Watch in May during its I/O developers conference. While Google previously revealed what the watch would look like and provided a preview of its software, it saved many of the core details around pricing, design and functionality for the October unveiling.
Pixel fall event
Aside from making the Wear OS smartwatch software that’s used by Samsung, Fossil and Michael Kors, Google has largely been absent from the smartwatch market. The Pixel Watch, however, is the first to be positioned as a Google device under its flagship Pixel brand. It comes as the company has been making a renewed push into hardware. establishing itself as a household name alongside Apple and Samsung in the mobile device market.
From 350
Go straight to the source for your Google Pixel Watch preorder. start at 350 and devices will begin shipping on Oct. 13.
The Pixel Watch has an elegant design that separates it from most Android-compatible smartwatches available on the market. But coming seven years after the original Apple Watch’s launch, it has a lot of catching up to do from an industry-wide perspective. Apple leads the smartwatch space with 29% of the global market as of the second quarter of 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung is the leader when it comes to Android-compatible smartwatches with 9% of the market, a number that trails far behind Apple.
With its sharp looks and Fitbit health metrics, the Pixel Watch already seems like a promising choice for Android device owners. But I could also see how the Pixel Watch could complicate how Fitbit’s own smartwatches fit into Google’s product lineup. The company says the Pixel Watch is for those who want Fitbit’s health tracking along with additional smartwatch features that Fitbit devices lack, such as optional LTE connectivity and Google Play Store apps.
The 300 Fitbit Sense 2. on the other hand, includes additional health and wellness capabilities such as skin temperature measurements and the ability to detect potential signs of stress. Whether the Pixel Watch becomes a hit could be an indicator of what consumers value most in a smartwatch.
Pixel Watch may be the best-looking smartwatch yet
Google said in May it’s positioning the Pixel Watch as a premium smartwatch, and that approach comes across in its aesthetic. The Pixel Watch has a domed, circular glass design with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and a stainless steel housing that makes it look more like a regular wristwatch than most smartwatches I’ve seen.
The watch is water resistant up to 5 ATM, which means it should be able to withstand pressure equal to a depth of 50 meters. It also features an always-on display that can show the time and other information when the screen is idle, just like Apple’s flagship watches and Fitbit’s smartwatches. It will be available in four finish options: matte black with an obsidian active Band, polished silver with a charcoal active Band, polished silver with a chalk active Band or champagne gold with a hazel active Band.
There will also be a variety of Band styles to choose from, ranging from lightweight sports bands to breathable woven bands designed for sleep tracking to more formal leather and metal mesh options. The stretch Band is surprisingly light and soft, and I could see how it would be ideal to wear to bed. It almost feels like wearing a scrunchie on my wrist.
Swapping out the bands is relatively simple; it requires pressing a button where the Band connects to the housing and then sliding the Band in the same direction. It took me a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but it’s easy once you get used to it.
At first glance, the Pixel Watch feels like the Apple Watch’s closest competitor in terms of design.- except it’s round rather than square. As a longtime Apple Watch wearer, the Pixel Watch’s use of premium materials and the look and feel of its straps has given me some deja vu.- but in a good way. There’s also a crown along the side of the watch that doubles as a button and a scroll wheel, much like the Apple Watch’s digital crown. But the Pixel Watch’s domed glass gives it a distinguished look that sets it apart from most wearables, even the Apple Watch and high-end hybrid watches such as the Withings ScanWatch Horizon.
That said, I also noticed the bezels framing the display are a bit wide, although they do seamlessly blend into the rest of the watch. The watch itself is also fairly wide, but I’ll have to spend more time with it before I can tell if these factors impact the experience overall.
Pixel Watch software is a combination of Google and Fitbit
The Pixel Watch runs on Google’s Wear OS 3.5 software and inherits some of Fitbit’s health features. In the short amount of time I’ve had to see the Pixel Watch in person, the software looks a lot like the new redesigned interface on the Fitbit Sense 2. It also feels fast and snappy. Compared to the Sense 2, I felt like I was gliding around the operating system, whereas there’s sometimes a pause before launching apps on the Fitbit Sense 2.
Similar to the Sense 2, the Pixel Watch has tiles for showing activity data, heart rate, the weather, exercise shortcuts and other bits of information. Pushing the Pixel Watch’s crown will take you to your apps, similar to how pressing the Sense 2’s side button pulls up your app list. You’ll also get Fitbit-specific metrics such as Active Zone Minutes, which gives you more credit depending on how high your heart rate is while working out and a daily readiness score.
But the software doesn’t seem to be exactly the same. Google is positioning the Pixel Watch as more of a full-featured smartwatch, so it includes some extras like Smart home controls, access to the Google Play Store from your wrist and optional LTE connectivity (although the cellular version of the watch will cost slightly higher at 400). Emergency SOS, international emergency calling and mobile payments through Google Wallet will be available, too, and the watch also includes a compass for navigation. From what I’ve seen, the Pixel Watch’s performance also seems snappier than Sense 2’s, although I’ll have to spend time with the Pixel Watch to know for sure.
Watch faces also seem like a much bigger deal on the Pixel Watch; there are 18 styles that Google says can be highly personalized. For example, you can change the color of the face and the dials and add complications. Again, this should all sound familiar to anyone who has used an Apple Watch.
Pixel Watch has Fitbit health tracking
From a health tracking perspective, you could almost think of the Pixel Watch as a really nice-looking Fitbit smartwatch. All of your health data will live in the Fitbit app (although Google says it will continue to support Google Fit, too). You’ll be able to add the Pixel Watch to your Fitbit app just like any other Fitbit device. That means in addition to workout and activity tracking, you’ll get Fitbit-specific metrics like your readiness score and sleep score. The Pixel Watch will also come with six months of free Fitbit Premium, Fitbit’s 10 monthly subscription that provides access to additional health metrics and workout programs.
Google claims the Pixel Watch will offer the company’s most accurate heart rate tracking yet thanks to these sensors and its machine learning algorithms, even surpassing Fitbit’s devices.
It’ll also be updated with the ability to take blood oxygen saturation measurements and can take an ECG from the wrist, just like watches from Fitbit and Apple. Similar to the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch will support fall detection and also has built-in GPS for tracking running routes.
The major feature missing from the Pixel Watch compared with the Fitbit Sense 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Apple Watch Series 8 is a temperature sensor. That shouldn’t be a deal breaker, however, since temperature sensors are relatively new to smartwatches and companies are still figuring out the best ways to make that data useful. Plus, Google sees that as a differentiating factor between the Fitbit Sense 2 and Pixel Watch.
Pixel Watch’s battery life and other details
The Pixel Watch should last for 24 hours on a single charge and runs on an Exynos 9110 processor along with a coprocessor, says Google. That should put its battery life at about the same length as the Apple Watch’s, although we’ll know more when we actually get to test the watch. The Fitbit Sense 2, on the other hand, is rated to last for around six days, according to Fitbit. Pixel Watch buyers will also get three free months of YouTube Music Premium, and there’s a built-in speaker and microphone for things like taking calls and using the Google Assistant.
It’s a bit surprising that Google didn’t develop its own Tensor processor for the Pixel Watch considering it’s such a big part of the phone experience. Google says the Pixel Watch’s system-on-a-chip and coprocessor handle different tasks to maximize power and performance. The coprocessor, for example, handles things like step counting, GPS and background heart rate, while the main processor drives Wear OS and LTE functionality.
Pixel Watch early thoughts
When it comes to smartwatches, Android device owners have had to deal with a fragmented ecosystem of products from Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin. Michael Kors and others. Most of those watches specialize in either fitness or fashion with little overlap. The Pixel Watch could be the first Android-focused smartwatch to change that, but the question is whether that alone will be enough to make it a success.
