This week, Apple released its watchOS 11 software to the public, and the surprising absence of several older watch faces has enthusiasts upset over their removal.
Users first noticed the change earlier this week, after watchOS 11 rolled out on Monday to all top Apple Watch models. One Reddit user pointed out that the Chronograph and Explorer watch faces had been removed, and commenters were quick to point out that the numbers had also been removed, along with the Siri face.
“I'm very disappointed that they removed both the Explorer and original chronograph dials,” the user lamented. “These were my two favorite dials and are significantly more functional than most of the new dials that have been introduced in recent years.”
watchOS 11 brings a host of new health and fitness features, but new watch faces are also expected to appear. Apple has updated the Photos face, which now includes AI-powered recommendations to give you the best results possible. There’s also a new Flux face that takes advantage of the new 1Hz display on Apple Watch Series 10, and a new Reflections face to complement the new titanium version’s finish.
However, these new watch faces don't seem to be going down well with enthusiasts, who are more concerned with getting back some of their old favorites. In fact, users of the Apple Watch subreddit are posting comments on Apple.com, asking for the removed watch faces to be returned.
watchOS 11 deals a cruel blow
There doesn't seem to be any technical or functional reason why Apple would remove these watch faces, so it's likely that Apple made this change to update and improve the overall aesthetic and design language of watchOS, which is certainly more artistic and abstract than it used to be.
The removal of the chronograph face appears to have particularly rankled some users, given that it was one of the original faces that debuted when the Apple Watch launched in 2014.
Another post on the same subreddit calling the removal of watch faces unacceptable has gained a lot of traction this week, with one user criticizing the move as “totally anti-consumer in every way.”
The obvious solution, also proposed by users on Reddit, would be to implement downloadable watch faces on the Apple Watch. Until then, it seems that lovers of Chronograph, Explorer, and the old Numerals watch face will be out of luck in watchOS 11.
