How to Add Complications to Apple Watch Face

Apple Watch Complications make accessing and using apps on your watch a breeze. My favorite Apple Watch complications to add is for the Workout app.

* This post is part of iPhone Life's Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

Did you know you can add complications to your Apple Watch face and access your favorite apps with a single tap?  If you use an app regularly, a shortcut on your watch screen may come in handy. Here's how to change your Apple Watch complications to include a shortcut to an app on your watch face. We'll use the Workout app as an example.

Related: The Ultimate Fitness-Tracking Guide: 16 Best Apple Watch Workout Tips

Why You'll Love This Tip

  • Add a complication to your watch face to access your favorite apps the fastest way.
  • Customize your Apple Watch face to include only those apps you use most.

How to Add Complications to Apple Watch Face

What are Apple Watch complications? Formally, "complication" is a word taken from the trade of watch-making, where it means any function of a watch face other than time-keeping. In the context of your Apple Watch, complications are one-tap shortcuts to access apps from your watch face. They're extremely handy, and one of the most popular features of Apple Watches. To learn more about using your Apple Watch and other Apple devices, check out our Tip of the Day newsletter.

Here's how to customize your Apple Watch complications to include the Workout app:

  1. On your Apple Watch, long press the watch face.

    Long press your Apple Watch face
     
  2. Tap Edit.

    Tap Edit to change your Apple Watch complications
     
  3. Swipe left once to access the Complications menu.

    Swipe left to access your Apple Watch complications menu
     
  4. Tap one of the complication nodes on the watch face to select it. You'll see that each node is surrounded by an outline to make it easier to identify.

    Select the complication region that you want to edit
     
  5. When you tap on your chosen complication node, that outline will briefly turn green before the screen changes to the next menu.
  6. Rotate the Digital Crown until you find the Workout complication.
  7. Tap on Workout.

    Use the Digital Crown to scroll through the complications options and then tap Workout when you find it
     
  8. You'll be shown a preview of what that complication node will now look like with the Workout app icon.

    You'll see what your apple watch complications will look like now that you've added Workout
     
  9. Press the Digital Crown to exit the Complications menu.
  10. Press the Digital Crown again to finish. You should see that your watch face is updated to include the Workout app icon.

    You should now see your updated apple watch complications, including the Workout app icon

Pro tip: If you love complications, you may be on the hunt for the Apple Watch face with the most complications. This would be Infograph face, which allows up to eight. You can add other app complications to your Apple Watch face as well; check them out! 

Now you can go straight to the Workout app from the watch face! For me, it makes accessing my workouts much faster, which is ideal when I'm in a hurry to get moving. You can have several watch faces saved for different purposes. Next, learn how to change your Apple Watch faces by swiping on your display.

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Author Details

Cullen Thomas's picture

Author Details

Cullen Thomas

Cullen Thomas is a senior instructor at iPhone Life, creating tips and guides to help users unlock the full potential of their iOS and iPhone. In addition to writing countless tip-of-the-day articles and many detailed guides, Cullen has spent ten years as an instructor in media and communications at Maharishi University, lecturing on technical and artistic subjects ranging from camera and audio hardware to story-plotting to how to manage a film crew. Cullen answers questions daily about iPhones and iOS as part of the Ask an Editor insider service, and designs curricula for iPhone Life’s online classes. As a frequent contributor to iPhone Life magazine and occasional guest on the iPhone Life podcast, Cullen likes to talk about security and privacy news, tech, gadgets, and apps, even if nobody asked.

Cullen holds a master’s degree in Cinematic Arts from the David Lynch School of Cinematic Arts. Cullen also holds two Bachelor’s degrees from Maharishi University, one in literature with an emphasis in writing and the other in Communications and Media. Cullen’s short fiction has been featured in anthologies from Amphibian Press and TANSTAAFL, and Cullen co-owns a game design company, Thoughtspike games, which builds thought-provoking puzzle games. Cullen is a sci-fi author, a coffee connoisseur, and an iPhone expert.