Changing the watch face on your Garmin watch requires diving into hard-to-find menus, choosing between vaguely labeled data fields, and downloading a separate Garmin app if you want custom options. Once you know how to do it, it’s not that difficult, but you’ll need a guide to get you started.
Your first step also depends on which Garmin watch you own, specifically how many buttons your model has. Unlike most smartwatches, you can’t just press and hold the main watch face to start customizing.
Below we’ll walk you through how to change your Garmin watch face, which data fields we recommend best, and some of our favorite custom Connect IQ watch faces.
How to change the watch face on your Garmin watch
1. Open the Settings menu: On a 5-button watch like a Forerunner or Instinct, press and hold the middle left button, aka Up/Menu button.
1a. On a two- or three-button watch like a Venu or Vívoactive, press and hold the bottom right or button Back/round button.
1b. On one One button model Like the Vivosmart 5, tap the Main buttonThen Tap the clock icon on the touch display.
2. Your first option in this menu should be Dial; Select it in the top right begin Button.
3. Use the Page up/down buttons. or swipe your touchscreen to select one of the pre-installed watch faces. Blow begin.
4. You should see three options: Apply, Customize and Delete. Choose Apply to use the dial as is, or Adjust to change the layout and types Data fieldsas well as Accent color.
5. When you’re done, select Completed to apply these changes.
As you can see, changing your Garmin watch face only takes a few button presses or taps once you know where to start. But Adjust A watch face is a little more complicated because Garmin assumes you know what its data fields — and their vague, unlabeled symbols — mean.
Instead of a lengthy list, we’ll link to this Garmin support page with important examples of Garmin Forerunner 965 iconsand covers most of the main options available.
A full-size Garmin watch face has space for about six data fields plus the main clock field. It is subjective which data fields relate to your training or preferences, but we refer you to our personal favorites:
- Steps (step symbol): An obvious choice for anyone who wants to walk 10,000 steps a day.
- Acute stress (target symbol with triangle) or earned intensity minutes (zooming stopwatch): For active athletes, it’s a great way to quickly check how many activities you’ve completed this week and whether you’re on track. You could do that too Calorie consumption (fire symbol) if you prefer a daily number.
- Remaining recovery time: (+ sign surrounded by circular arrow): Before training, quickly check whether Garmin’s algorithm thinks you’re ready (or how long you’ll have to wait).
- Heart rate (heart symbol) or Stress (bolt in the figure’s head): If you want to see your health data in real time, increased data can help you capture moments for breathing exercises.
- Body battery (blue person next to circle with bolt): Body Battery is one of Garmin’s most popular features for measuring your energy levels for the day and making it clear how your sleep or activities are affecting you.
- You can also choose Battery level, but this data is the first thing you see when you scroll down to the widgets. I’d rather see that Weather (Clouds icon) or the Sunrise/sunset times (an arrow pointing to the sun).
How to install custom Garmin watch faces and data fields with Connect IQ
In addition to the pre-installed watch faces and standard data fields, the Garmin Connect IQ app gives you access to community-created watch faces, new data fields, and the ability to use personal photos as a watch face.
1. Install the Connect IQ app from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS).
2. Tap SeekThen Dials to view all the most popular options.
3. Select your favorites, then tap Install > Allow Permissions. You can check the download progress and remaining available space on the watch face My device Tab.
4. If you want, then tap Be Honest tab. to create a custom watch face with a personal photo.
5. Tap + buttonThen photos or camera. Choose Restrict access and select the individual photo or photos you want to see on your watch.
6. Select a layoutand then tap +Add under “Complications” to add specific data fields in addition to the standard options. Then you can pull These data fields can be displayed anywhere on the watch face.
7. Hitting Savename the watch face if you want, then press To install.
While this article is about Garmin watch faces, take some time in the Connect IQ app to look at any custom, community-created apps or data fields you might want to have on your watch. You can find them in Seek Tab too.
For example, when we tested this CORE temperature sensor for heat training, you could install an “official” Connect IQ data panel to display your body temperature on the watch during exercise.
When you’re done, look at your Garmin watch again. You can find your newly installed watch faces below when you scroll over the preinstalled options. You can add new data fields by returning to Settings menuand then scroll to Activities & Apps > Sports > Sports Settings > Data Screensthen you will find it below Connecting IQ fields when adding a new screen.
Now that you know how to change the watch face on your Garmin watch, you can see how Garmin provides you with a range of data at a glance. However, we wish you could tap the data fields on your watch face to bring up a more detailed widget, like you can on an Apple Watch or Wear OS watch.
Newer watches like the Garmin Venu 3 have introduced a slightly revamped Garmin UI, and we can hope that over time more traditional smartwatch features will make their way into newer models as more models come with AMOLED touch displays.
Affordable AMOLED display
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is a great starting point for anyone new to Garmin or looking to upgrade from an old model. It has an easy-to-read AMOLED display, accurate tracking, comfortable design and a reasonable price, giving you a current-gen experience and quality without Garmin’s usual costs.