Several users have reported that they can’t add photos to Portraits face on their Apple Watch Series 7. Users state that they can add photos for all the other faces, but not Portraits. In this article, I’ll explain why Portraits Watch face is not working on your Apple Watch Series 7 and show you how to fix the problem.
The Portraits watch face is designed to let you view and engage with photos in an all-new way on Apple Watch. What makes it so fascinating is the ability to animate a portrait image with a multi-layered effect. Notably, it intelligently recognizes faces in photos and crops in to highlight the subject. Thus, the watch face appears pleasing to the eyes.
Once you have set up Portraits watch face on your Apple Watch, a new photo will show up whenever you raise your wrist or tap the display. Interestingly, there is also a way to zoom in/ out of the portrait for times when you may want to get into the details. It is a nice way to take a glance at memorable photos and also personalize your smartwatch. While there is no doubt that the Portraits watch face is a notable addition to watchOS, it is reportedly not working for many users. That’s why we’ve created this troubleshooting guide to show you how to fix Portraits Watch face not working on Apple Watch Series 7. If this issue has hit your smartwatch as well, try out these viable solutions.
While some have reported that the Portraits mode photos don’t show up when they raise the wrist or tap the display, others have stated that turning the Digital Crown doesn’t do anything. Since the issue could be due to multiple reasons including the wrong setup or a hidden bug, we will try a variety of solutions to fix the ill-functioning Portraits watch face. But before getting started with any troubleshooting tips, let’s first understand how Portraits watch face works on Apple Watch.
How Does Portraits Watch Face Work on Apple Watch?
Apple Watch uses an immersive, multilayered effect to breathe life into the portrait photo. It uses depth data to crop out the people/object in the photo and imparts a 3D effect. Additionally, the subject is slightly animated. So when you tilt/move your wrist, the image in the watch face also tilts accordingly.
What’s more? You can load up to 24 photos in the Portraits watch face and shuffle between them or zoom in to enjoy the 3D effect.
Ways to fix Portraits Watch Face Not Working on Apple Watch Series 7
Before you start troubleshooting, it’s worth noting that you have to have photos stored in the portrait folder on your iPhone for you to use portraits face on your Apple Watch.
1. Reconfigure the Portraits Watch Face
Make sure you have perfectly configured the Portraits watch face. While it may sound quite naive, many of us often forget to check off the basics, especially when dealing with a new feature, and end up scratching our heads later. So, be sure to reconfigure it.
- Start the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Go to the Face Gallery tab.
- Scroll down and tap the Portraits option.
- Tap Choose Photos under the Content section.
- Here, select the photos you want as the watch face and tap Add.
- Now choose a suitable Style from; Classic, Modern or Rounded
- In the Complications section, select Middle (Date) and Bottom to select suitable complications or turn it off for a clean effect.
- Now, tap Add next to the Portraits.
In seconds, your Apple Watch will sport the new Portraits watch face. If it doesn’t happen, turn off/on Bluetooth on your iPhone (Settings -> Bluetooth ) and Apple Watch (Settings -> Bluetooth) and restart both the devices.
2. Turn Off/On Wake on Wrist Raise and Wake On Crown Up
If a new portrait photo doesn’t appear on your watch when you tap the display or raise your wrist, try turning off/on Wake on Wrist Raise and Wake On Crown Up.
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch -> Display & Brightness.
After that, turn off/on the toggles for Wake on Wrist Raise and Wake On Crown Up. Next, restart your smartwatch.
Once your wearable device has rebooted, tap the display to check if a new portrait image shows up. If it does, you’ve resolved the Portraits watch face issues on your Apple Watch Series 7.
3. Make Sure the Theater Mode is Disabled
When Theater mode (aka Cinema mode) is enabled, your Apple Watch display won’t turn on when you raise your wrist. So, if your smartwatch display doesn’t wake when you raise the wrist, ensure that Theater mode is turned off.
Swipe up from the bottom edge of the display and hit the Theater mode icon to turn it off.
4. Hard Reset Your Apple Watch
If the Portraits watch face is not working properly on your Apple Watch Series 7, hard reset (also known as force restart) your smartwatch. Well-known for troubleshooting common watchOS issues, it’s worth giving a shot.
Press and hold the Digital Crown and the Side button simultaneously until your Apple Watch screen goes black and the Apple logo shows up on the screen.
5. Update Your Apple Watch
If the issue persists, there is a good chance that your Apple Watch could be in the grip of a hidden watchOS bug. Considering how buggy watchOS 8 (and most modern watchOS versions) has been, you should never overlook this possibility.
Update watchOS Right from Apple Watch
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch -> General -> Software Update. Now, allow your Apple Watch to check for software update and then download and install the latest version of watchOS as usual.
Update watchOS Using Your Paired iPhone
Go to the Watch app on your iPhone -> My Watch tab -> General -> Software Update.
Now, wait for some time to let the device check for updates. When it shows the available watchOS update, download and install it.
6. Last Resort: Erase Your Apple Watch and Re-pair It with your iPhone
If none of the tricks has worked in fixing the Portraits watch face, erase your Apple Watch and re-pair it with your iPhone. This radical solution has always been very reliable for fixing complex watchOS problems. Since watchOS is designed to automatically backup your important data at the time of erasing the content and also allows you to restore the backup during setup, you shouldn’t bother about losing any data.
Erase Apple Watch Right from your Wrist
Go to Settings app -> General -> Reset. Now, tap Erase All Content and Settings and confirm.
Erase Apple Watch Using iPhone
Head over to the Watch app on your iPhone -> General -> Reset. Next, hit Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings and confirm.
After you have successfully wiped out your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone and then follow the simple on-screen instructions to re-pair your smartwatch with the iPhone.
Fixed Portraits Watch Face Not Working Problem on Apple Watch Series 7
That’s it! Hopefully, the Portraits watch face has started to work normally on your Apple Watch Series 7. Many a time, reconfiguring the watch face and hard reset can help you resolve the issue. And if these Apple Watch tips don’t get the job done, updating the watch and re-pairing it with the iPhone can often come to your rescue. That said, which one of these solutions has fixed the Portraits watch face on your wearable device? Don’t forget to share your invaluable feedback with us.
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