How to Make the Apple Watch Screen Brighter (and Text Bigger)

To make your Apple Watch screen brighter, open Settings on the watch, tap Display & Brightness, and tap the brightness buttons or turn the Digital Crown. The same screen lets you make text bigger or bold, choose how long the screen stays on after you raise your wrist (Wake Duration), and turn Always On on or off.

These steps follow Apple’s watchOS 27 guides Adjust the display settings on Apple Watch and Adjust text and display settings on Apple Watch.

How to Make the Apple Watch Screen Brighter

1. Press the Digital Crown and open Settings.
2. Tap Display & Brightness.
3. Tap the brightness buttons, or turn the Digital Crown, to make the screen brighter.

Result: The display gets brighter right away. You can also do this on your iPhone: open the Apple Watch app, tap My Watch, then tap Display & Brightness.

Raise the minimum brightness

If the screen gets too dim when the watch adjusts to your surroundings, go to Settings > Accessibility and use Minimum Brightness. Apple says this sets a higher minimum brightness level when the display automatically adjusts to lighting conditions.

How to Make Text Bigger on Apple Watch

1. Open Settings > Display & Brightness.
2. Tap Text Size, then tap the size buttons or turn the Digital Crown.
3. Turn on Bold Text if you want thicker letters.

Result: Text gets larger across the watch. Apple notes you need to restart your Apple Watch for Bold Text changes to take effect.

For a quick change, press the side button to open Control Center, tap the Text Size button, then tap the letters or turn the Digital Crown.

More options for readability

In Settings > Accessibility, Apple lists several settings that make the screen easier to see:

• Increase Contrast: More contrast between text and backgrounds.
• Reduce Transparency: Fewer see-through effects, so text stands out against backgrounds.
• Show Borders: Outlines onscreen elements.
• On/Off Labels: Adds a line or circle to switches so you can tell if they’re on.
• Color Filters: Grayscale or color adjustments. If your screen turned black and white unexpectedly, see how to turn off the black and white screen on Apple Watch.

How to Make the Apple Watch Screen Stay On Longer

1. Open Settings > Display & Brightness.
2. Tap Wake Duration.
3. Choose the longer option.

This controls how long the display stays on after Apple Watch wakes. On the same screen, you can also turn Wake on Wrist Raise and Wake on Crown Rotation on or off.

How to Turn Always On On or Off

On supported models, Always On keeps the watch face and time showing even when your wrist is down.

1. Open Settings > Display & Brightness.
2. Tap Always On.
3. Turn it on or off.

You can also choose which complications, notifications, and apps are visible while your wrist is down. Apple notes Always On isn’t available in Low Power Mode, so tap the display to see the watch face.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my screen still look dim?

Low Power Mode or Theater Mode may be on. Open Control Center and check. Also check that Minimum Brightness in Accessibility isn’t set too low.

Can I stop the screen from waking when I raise my wrist?

Yes. In Display & Brightness, turn off Wake on Wrist Raise. Apple suggests turning on Theater Mode to stop it temporarily. If the screen doesn’t wake when you want it to, make sure you’ve set Apple Watch to the right wrist.

Can I go back to the clock face sooner?

Yes. Go to Settings > General > Return to Clock. See how to set Apple Watch to return to the clock or last used app, and how to stop audio apps from opening on Apple Watch.