Garmin Custom Watch Face

Garmin has a lesser-known app in the App Store and it often gets overlooked. At the end of the season Garmin launched Face-It, a customizable watch face creation app for its range of Connect IQ compatible products. This will allow you to be different from everyone else standing at the start line and make you the envy of your running buddies. Explore and download apps to personalize your Garmin with Connect IQ, our open platform for third-party developer apps.

Garmin Custom Watch Face Complications

Connect IQ watch face settings can be adjusted in two ways:

Garmin Instinct Custom Watch Faces

1. Directly on the watch, if the watch and the app allows it

Garmin custom watch face complications

To do this, first you need to get to the watch face selection menu on your watch. When you are there and your face of choice is being shown, you will always be presented with the “Apply” option. If the settings on the watch are supported, you will also see another choice “Customize”.

Garmin Custom Watch Face

2. Through a Garmin app

To customize Connect IQ watch faces settings, you will need to use one of the available Garmin tools:

  • Garmin Express for PC or Mac (http://software.garmin.com/en-US/express.html)
  • Garmin Connect (iOS or Android)
  • Garmin Connect IQ (iOS or Android)

Each of these tools has its pros and cons:

Garmin Express

Garmin Face It

+ You can uninstall the watch face currently active on your watch.

You won’t see the results of your changes until you disconnect the watch from the computer, so if you want to try different settings to decide which you like most, this will be somewhat tedious.

Garmin Custom Watch Face

Garmin Connect / Connect IQ

+You can see the setting changes effect immediately after you press ‘DONE’ button, which generally makes the adjustments easier and faster. This is much more convenient than with Garmin Express and enough to definitely recommend Garmin Connect Mobile as the preferred option to change the settings.

You can’t uninstall the currently active watch face, which means you need to switch to another screen on your watch first. This is just the way Garmin has done it and it seems to be one of the most common reasons for users’ frustration judging from the comments they leave on the review pages.

Garmin Custom Watch Face

Please note that changing the settings with Garmin apps requires an active internet connection.