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Watch Faces

Apple Watch wallpaper size: pixel dimensions for every preset

For a 45mm Apple Watch, Watch Faces exports wallpapers at 396×484 pixels (792×968 at @2x). Every watch screen is close to the same shape, about 0.82 as wide as it is tall, so an image with that shape fills the Photos face without awkward cropping.

3 min read · Updated 2026-09-16

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What size is an Apple Watch wallpaper?

It depends on the case size, but less than you might think. The table below comes from a test image exported at every one of the seven presets. These are the app's own export sizes, not a spec sheet copied from Apple, and the Photos face scales the picture to its screen anyway, so shape matters more than exact pixels.

Export sizes in Watch Faces, in pixels
Preset@1x (free)@2x (Premium)Width ÷ height
SE 40mm324×394648×7880.822
SE 44mm368×448736×8960.821
41mm352×430704×8600.819
45mm396×484792×9680.818
Ultra410×502820×10040.817
S10 42mm396×484792×9680.818
S10 46mm416×508832×10160.819

The S10 presets are what the app exports for Series 10 cases. Apple's own screen resolutions for those models are slightly different, but you won't see it. Every row in that table is close enough in shape that an image made for one size still looks right on another.

Apple Watch wallpaper resolution: @1x or @2x?

The @1x sizes already equal the pixel count the app uses for each screen, so a @1x image looks sharp on the watch. @2x doubles both sides; it gives you a larger file with extra headroom, for example if you want to edit or crop it further on the phone. It is not a hidden higher resolution of the watch itself.

Live Photos and .watchface files are always made at @1x. Only Export to Photos and Share can use @2x, and that option is part of Premium; free users see it with a crown in the Size picker.

How to export an image at the right size

  1. Open the Designer tab and tap your size at the top, for example S10 46mm for a 46mm Series 10.
  2. Make your background with Background: a Color, a Gradient or your own Photo.
  3. Tap Time and choose Hidden if you want a clean wallpaper with no clock drawn into it.
  4. Tap the three-dot menu, then Export.
  5. Under Image Export, open Size and choose the @1x or @2x option, for example 416×508 @1x.
  6. Choose PNG or JPEG under File Format, then tap Export to Photos or Share.

What happens to a photo that is the wrong shape?

It gets cropped, not squashed: the shorter side is matched to the preset, then whatever sticks out on the long side is cut evenly off both ends. On the SE 40mm preset (324×394), a standard 4032×3024 landscape iPhone photo is scaled down to that shape and keeps 2487×3024 pixels of the original, 61.7% of its width and all of its height.

On the Ultra preset (410×502), a 3024×4032 portrait photo is scaled by 0.13558 and keeps its full width and 91.8% of its height. Portrait photos are a much better starting point than landscape ones.

Gallery wallpapers and sizes

The 1,135 wallpapers in the Gallery tab are square images, most of them 512×512 pixels. They are not made per watch size; the watch crops a square picture to its screen, trimming the sides. If an exact fit matters, rebuild the look in the designer with your own photo at your preset.

Questions and answers

What size photo do I need for a 44mm Apple Watch?
In Watch Faces, the SE 44mm preset exports at 368×448 pixels, or 736×896 at @2x. Any image of about the same shape will fill the screen with very little cropping.
Is there a preset for the 38mm or 42mm Series 1 to 3?
No. The presets are SE 40mm, SE 44mm, 41mm, 45mm, Ultra, S10 42mm and S10 46mm. For older models, the closest shape still works because the Photos face scales the picture.
Does a bigger image look better on the watch?
Only up to a point. The watch shows the picture at its own screen size, so a @1x image already fills it. @2x is useful if you want a larger file to work with.

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