You can put a photo and the date on an Apple Watch face by creating Apple's Photos face and adding a date complication in a supported position. The photo is the background; the complication is the small piece of information on top. If you also want to open a photo calendar from your wrist, Photo Calendar has a separate watch app and date complication.
1. Choose a photo for your watch face
On the paired iPhone, open the Watch app, tap Face Gallery, choose Photos and pick a style. Tap Choose Photos to select up to 24 images, or use Shuffle to select a collection. Adjust the available layout options, then tap Add. Apple's Photos watch face guide describes both options.
For one familiar picture, select just that image. If you choose a shuffled library or collection, Apple selects photos to rotate; the picture can change when you raise your wrist or tap the display. Pick a photo with room around the subject so the time and date do not cover a face.
2. Add the date
- With the face showing on your watch, touch and hold it, then tap Edit.
- Swipe left to the complications screen. If the chosen face offers complications, available positions appear there.
- Tap a position and turn the Digital Crown to browse choices. Select a date option available for that position.
- Press the Digital Crown to save, then tap the face to use it.
Apple's Calendar includes a Today's Date complication. Available choices vary with the face, position, watch and software; some faces have fewer places for information than others. See Apple's complication instructions if your editing screen looks different.
Which date display should you choose?
| What you want | Try this | What appears |
|---|---|---|
| A favorite photo and today's date | Photos face with a date complication | Your selected background plus a date in an available position |
| Quick access to a photo calendar | Photo Calendar's watch app and date complication | A date on the face; tap through to view the current calendar page |
| A larger photo calendar at home | An iPhone Home Screen widget | The month you made, with today marked |
See your photo calendar on the watch
Photo Calendar, the app we make, organizes photos into a calendar on iPhone. Version 1.1 adds a companion Apple Watch app that shows the current month or week page and a date complication for compatible watch faces. The iPhone sends the calendar page to the watch. The complication itself shows date information; it is not a photo-filled watch face.
You can combine the two: make a Photos face using Apple's controls, then select a date complication where the face permits it. Or use the watch app to open the calendar page itself. A photo face, a date complication and an app are three separate pieces, so changing the photo face does not automatically change the app's calendar.
If your photo or complication is missing
- Photo missing? Apple recommends checking that it is in the album synced to your watch. If you selected shuffle, the face is designed to rotate photos.
- No complication position? Check the face's editing options or try another face. Complications are available only on supported faces and positions.
- Calendar page not current? Open Photo Calendar on the paired iPhone and watch and allow time for the page to transfer. The watch app needs the page sent from the iPhone.
- Want the calendar on your phone too? See our guide to adding a photo calendar widget on iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I show a photo and the date on my Apple Watch face?
Yes. Create a Photos watch face in the Watch app on your iPhone, then use an available complication position to add a date. Which positions and complications are available depends on the face and watch.
How do I add a date complication to an Apple Watch face?
Touch and hold the face, tap Edit, and swipe to the complications screen. Tap an available position, turn the Digital Crown to choose a date complication, then press the crown to save.
Does Photo Calendar put my photo inside its watch complication?
No. Photo Calendar provides a date complication. Its separate Apple Watch app displays the current month or week page sent from your iPhone, including its photo. A Photos watch face is a separate Apple feature.
Why is my photo not showing on my Apple Watch face?
Check that the image is in the album synced to your watch. If you selected an album or shuffled collection, the face can show a different photo as you raise your wrist or tap the display. Choose an individual image if you want a particular photo.
A photo calendar for the moments you keep
Make your calendar on iPhone, then see your current page on Apple Watch.
Download Photo Calendar on the App Store →Related: How to Make a Photo Calendar on iPhone · Best Photo Calendar Apps. Questions? Email us.
