watchOS 3 Tidbits: Face Gallery, Disable Screenshots, New Stock Apps, and More

Apple this week previewed watchOS 3, the next major version of its Apple Watch software platform. The first beta has been seeded to registered developers, allowing for early adopters to take a closer look at what's new in the update.

Many tidbits in the new watchOS have already been discovered that were not given much or any stage time during Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote, including improvements to the Apple Watch companion app on iPhone, new first-party apps and watch faces, minor user interface tweaks, and more.

Face Gallery

Apple_Watch_face_gallery_duo
A new Face Gallery section has been added to the companion Watch app on iPhone, allowing users to browse and switch between watch faces, customize the color scheme, and configure complications.

X-Large Watch Face

XL_watch_face
Apple has added a new X-Large watch face with one large complication positioned at the center of the screen.

Screenshots Toggle

Apple_Watch_enable_screenshots
Apple Watch screenshots can now be enabled or disabled using the companion Watch app on iPhone. The toggle switch is in the General menu.

New Modular Complications

Modular_watchOS_3
Apple Watch Now Appears in Find My iPhone

Find_My_iPhone_Apple_Watch
Other Tidbits

• More watch faces support complications
• New stock apps: Breathe, Home, Find My Friends, Reminders, and Heart Rate
• Delete most first-party apps by first deleting the app on iPhone
• Tap on the Mickey/Minnie Mouse watch faces and they will read the time in their voices
• Enable auto pausing of indoor and outdoor runs
• Dismissing a notification now returns you to watch face rather than Notification Center
• The new Activity watch face is available in both analog and digital formats
• Siri has a slightly tweaked user interface
• Activity and Workout apps have been redesigned
• Friends view has been removed in favor of the new Dock feature

Share your own tidbits in our Apple Watch: All The Little Things discussion thread.

watchOS 3 will be available as a free software update for all Apple Watch users this fall.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...

Top Rated Comments

Munky Avatar
115 months ago
These Disney faces are really awful...

Until Apple opens up Face customization and creation to 3rd party devs, my interest in this Apple Watch remains right around zero.

Not holding my breath on this one :)
*WHEW!* I'm glad I finally know. Thank you!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlphaTeam Avatar
115 months ago
Thankfully I won't be getting random screenshot of my watch because I bent my hand the wrong way.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jacobh101 Avatar
115 months ago
I don't get the fascination with Mickey Mouse?! #smh
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tgwaste Avatar
115 months ago
So here we are on watchos3 and the watch STILL cant tell you if you left your phone behind. Seriously, is that a complex piece of code? Doesnt seem like it.

Yes, I know there are (unreliable) 3rd party apps.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NufSaid Avatar
115 months ago
I think that this is now a mature OS.

Looking forward to getting a version 2 watch when it comes out.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thelink Avatar
115 months ago
But...but...where Goofy?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)