How To Get Moon Phase On Apple Watch

Do you want your Apple Watch to resemble a deep blue, starry sky? Do you love the aesthetic appeal and function of the moon phase complication? If you answer yes to both of these questions, you’ve come to the right place.

Below, I share with you four easy ways how to get moon phase on Apple watch. But first, let’s know why the moon phase has become one of the most preferred complications today.

Moon Phase Complication 101

A moon phase watch displays the different phases of the moon. As the actual moon passes across the sky, the miniature version in the timepiece similarly travels around. An aperture shows the tiny moon.

Although it’s more of an artistic or whimsical complication, it has become popular in the watch world. Not only does this complication have a striking look, but it’s also an ancient depiction of the passage of time. 

Even our ancestors reserved the moon as a dynamic signature of time. Moon phase watches are also accurate and reliable, even for the everyday watch wearer. Therefore, many watch brands have adopted the “bosom” moon phase style – named after the aperture’s sensuous shape that reveals and hides the slivers of the moon. 

Moreover, the materials used to craft these moons in watches differ by brand. Most come in solid gold disks, while others make photo-realistic renditions of the moon like the Omega moon phase watches. Apple watches with this moon phase display have a more advanced digital display.

4 Ways To Get Moon Phase on Apple Watch

1. Update watchOS

The first way to get a moon phase complication on your Apple watch is to update its OS. To know if you have an updated watchOS version on your watch, just tap General > Software Update on your iPhone.

Customizing or changing your watch faces is easy with a watch OS 8 or higher. Apple watch SE, for instance, is one of the Apple wearables you can update to watchOS 8. However, if the Watch app says your software is up to date, there’s no need to update your watch.

If you own an Apple Watch Series 4 and later, it allows you to choose up to three complications plus an analog or digital dial.

Related: Ladies Moonphase Watches – Top Options

2. Switch or Add New Watch Faces

Another option to change your Apple watch phase with a moon phase display is to switch or add new watch faces. Swipe left or right on the present face to do this, and cycle those you’ve already added.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t added new Apple watch faces, tap the Face Gallery icon on your iPhone. At the top row, you’ll see new watch faces. Tap the Add button on the face you want to install. Another option is to tap Create Watch Face. 

When you add the moon phase complication, you’ll see the time of the next moonset or moonrise. 

Apple’s watch faces that have the moon phase complication include the Activity Analog, Count Up, Chronograph Pro, Gradient (circular dial), GMT, Pride Woven, Infographic, Solar Dial, World Time, and Stripes (circular dial).

The Chronograph is one of the best Apple watches faces you should try, as this watch face measures time in accurate increments, similar to a classic analog stopwatch. But if you prefer an Apple watch face with a digital time display, opt for the Modular.

The Lunar Watch Face

For Apple Watches with watchOS 9, you can easily add the Lunar watch face. This watch face displays the moon in the center with time surrounding the lunar phases. 

Additionally, you can customize it to your liking, such as its hand colors, digital or analog time, and Islamic, Chinese, and Hebrew calendars. This elegant watch face lets you navigate between the following major moon phase points.

Here’s a video tutorial on adding this new watch face.

3. Use Apple’s Built-in Moon Phase Option

Apple Watch has a built-in moon phase option through its astronomy-themed faces. These two faces are the Solar Graph and Astronomy. Both are well-designed creations, but the Astronomy watch face shows a higher quality display than the other.

The Astronomy watches face display time digitally in the upper right portion of the screen. The date and day appear at the top left portion.

Spin the digital crown

By rotating the Digital Crown, you can see different phases of the actual moon. Use this option to move forward and back to set the moon location timeline. The watch vibrates each time you explore the different moon phases on your timepiece.

Similarly, you can rotate the Digital Crown to display the time offset if you prefer the Solar theme. The Solar puts dots on the sun’s path to specify night, twilight, and sunrise. Overall, it’s a good watch face if you want to see how the planets move in the solar system. 

Related: Luxury Moonphase Watches – Our Top Picks

4. Download a Standalone Apple Watch App With Lunar Complication

If you want a better lunar complication, download a standalone Apple Watch app with that function. One of the best options is the Geneva Moon App, previously called the Moon.

Developer David Smith first named it Moon “plus-plus,” but it was a tricky character to type on an Apple Watch. Hence, the change in the app name. 

The app has an excellent aesthetic and provides a highly accurate indication of what the moon looks like where you are right now. Moreover, the moon image in the app adjusts itself for all astronomical factors and shows the moon’s current location along the horizon.

In a blog post, Smith said his goal was for Apple Watch users to look down on their wrist and up into the sky and see that both images match. He shared how fun it was to develop the app as if he was on a fun little adventure as he learned about astronomical factors.

Related: Best Moonphase Watch Under 2000

Bottom line 

A moon phase function to an Apple watch adds a poetic feel to it. It serves as a reminder of the majesty and mystery of the night-time sentinel.

Follow any of the steps above, and you’ll see the replica of the actual moon you see in the sky on your Apple Watch while you stay well-versed with your health and wellness.

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