Use Garmin’s Face It feature in the Connect IQ Store app. Choose a picture from your phone or take one, select a clock layout, add available data fields, save the design, and tap Install. Garmin Connect then syncs the custom face to a compatible watch.
What you need before starting
- A Garmin watch that supports Face It. Compatibility and available controls vary by model, so check the current Connect IQ Store app for your exact device.
- The Connect IQ Store app and Garmin Connect installed on your phone.
- The photo you want to use, stored in your phone’s gallery, or a subject ready to photograph.
Face It is Garmin’s official route for putting a personal image behind the clock. Garmin’s Connect IQ overview describes Face It as the custom-photo watch-face feature: Connect IQ Store.
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How to create and install the photo watch face
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Open Face It
Open the Connect IQ Store app on your phone and select Face It from the bottom menu. Garmin’s support procedure is documented under “How Do You Install and Configure a Face It Watch Face?”.
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Start a new design
Tap the add control to create a watch face. Depending on the watch and app version, choose one of these sources:
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- Photos — select an image from your phone’s photo gallery.
- Camera — take a new picture in the app.
- Preset Backgrounds — use a Garmin-provided background when the option is available for your model.
Allow photo access if the phone asks for permission.
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Choose the clock layout
Select the layout that determines where the time appears and how it overlays the image. Garmin describes both analog and digital styles, with choices depending on the device and app. The available design controls are outlined in Garmin’s guide to customizing a Garmin watch face.
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Add optional data fields
If your model supports them, add complications such as steps, heart rate, or battery level. Position the fields so they do not cover the important part of the photograph. The number and type of fields are model-dependent.
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Save and install
Save the design, give it a name, and select Install. Garmin says this starts a sync through Garmin Connect, transferring the face to the watch. Keep the phone and watch connected and follow any model-specific prompts.
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- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
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- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
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Select it on the watch if necessary
Some Garmin watches switch to the new face after installation; others leave it among your installed Connect IQ faces. On-watch menu names and button paths differ by model. For example, the Instinct E manual separates built-in face customization from selecting installed Connect IQ faces.
What Face It can—and cannot—do
- Personal image: the photo is selected or captured on the phone, then used as the face background.
- Clock presentation: layouts can be analog or digital, but the exact choices depend on the watch.
- Complications: supported data such as steps, heart rate, and battery may be added; not every model exposes every field.
- Always On Display: Garmin support states that Always On Display is not compatible with custom Face It watch faces. If always-on behavior matters, check your device’s settings and manual before installing one: Garmin’s compatibility notice.
Face It support is not universal across Garmin’s fitness range, and Garmin can change the supported-model list. The current Connect IQ Store app is the authoritative place to verify your exact watch before designing a face.
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Face It versus a third-party photo face
Face It is not a paid requirement. A separate Connect IQ listing called Photo Pro offers another photo-based face, but its supported models, photo limits, features, and free or paid terms can change. Check the live listing for your watch rather than assuming it has the same behavior as Face It.
| Question | Face It | Photo Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Who provides it? | Garmin’s official Connect IQ feature | Third-party Connect IQ listing |
| Exact watch compatibility | Varies; verify in the current app | Varies; check the current listing |
| Photo and layout controls | Photo or camera source, layouts and available complications vary by model | Current limits and controls are not established here; see the listing |
| Always On Display | Garmin says custom Face It faces are incompatible with Always On Display | Not stated in the supplied listing information |
| Cost | No separate purchase is required for the Face It workflow | Free and paid terms may change; verify the live listing |
Troubleshooting the installation
Face It is missing from the app
Update or reopen Connect IQ Store, confirm that Garmin Connect is installed and signed in, and check whether the watch appears as a supported device. If Face It still does not appear, the model may not support it.
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The photo or camera option is unavailable
Grant the app photo permission in the phone’s settings. Preset Backgrounds are only offered on select models, and app versions can expose different choices.
The face saved but did not reach the watch
Keep the watch nearby with Bluetooth enabled, open Garmin Connect, and allow the requested sync to finish. Then look in the watch’s installed Connect IQ faces; the exact selection path depends on the model.
The face looks wrong or data is missing
Return to Face It and choose another layout or reposition the complications. A field shown in the editor may not be available on every watch, so use the controls that the app presents for your device.
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Garmin’s native watch-face editor generally changes options already provided by the watch, such as displayed data or background color. It is not automatically a personal-photo tool. The Instinct E documentation illustrates this distinction by documenting built-in face customization separately from installed Connect IQ faces: owner’s manual.
Privacy and practical considerations
The image is chosen on your phone and transferred as part of the watch-face installation. Use a photo that remains legible behind the clock and data fields, and remember that a custom Face It face disables Always On Display according to Garmin’s support notice.
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