This hidden Apple Watch feature is stellar — try it now

Apple Watch Astronomy face
(Image credit: Future)

I thought I had discovered all the best Apple Watch hidden features. But then I found a stellar — and I literally mean stellar — tool while changing my Apple Watch face. I think those who are interested in the planets of our solar system will absolutely love this little hack.

If you know how to use the Apple Watch, you probably have figured out how to change your Apple Watch face. Maybe you even know how to use a photo as an Apple Watch face. But have you explored the Astronomy watch face yet?

@tomsguide

♬ original sound - sped up 80s audios

Follow Tom's Guide on TikTok if you want to see more of our favorite tech tips and tricks in action.


Though the original Astronomy watch face debuted with the first-generation Apple Watch, it received a refresh with watchOS 9 alongside the Apple Watch Series 8 launch. All of the new watchOS 9 watch faces are interactive in some way or another, but the Astronomy watch face has a particularly cool feature.

The default view of the Astronomy watch face displays Earth, pinpointing your current location along with live cloud coverage. When you edit the watch face, you'll also get the choice of Moon and Solar System views. You'll need to enable Solar System views to see this hidden feature.

Once the Solar System view is saved as your watch face, simply turn the digital crown in either direction and you'll see alignment of all 8 planets in orbit with the sun at the center. You can scroll several years in the past or future to see how the planets were aligned in orbit before, or how they will be aligned one day.

While this isn't really answer to see the next time Mercury will be in retrograde, it is a fun way to explore the solar system from your wrist. At the very least, it makes for a clever party trick, as I'm guessing most people don't know about this feature.

How to get the Apple Watch Astronomy watch face

Apple Watch face

(Image credit: Future)

1. Long press on your watch face.

2. Swipe to the left until you see the plus (+) icon and tap the icon

3. Scroll down to the Astronomy watch face and press add. The faces are listed in alphabetical order so it's towards the top.

4. Swipe to the View option in the customization menu and scroll down to select Solar System.

5. Press the digital crown twice see your new watch face in action.

This feature looks awesome on the Apple Watch Ultra's large screen, but it works with any Apple Watch updated to watchOS 9, including the Apple Watch SE (2022) and select older watches.

Interested in more Apple Watch tips? Check out our guides on how to use Apple Watch Mirroring on iPhone and how to change the Apple Watch app view. And if you're celestially-minded, see our roundup of the best stargazing apps right now.

Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She writes about smartwatches, TVs, audio devices, and some cooking appliances, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following if you don't already. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.

Read more
The Apple Watch Series 10 on a user's wrist showing a colorful orange and pink home screen
5 features to try first on your new Apple Watch
The Apple Watch Series 10 on a user's wrist showing a colorful orange and pink home screen
Your Apple Watch has a flashlight feature — here’s how to turn it on
Garmin Fenix 8
8 hidden Garmin watch features that you need to know about
Close-up of the Apple Watch 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on a wood table showing the app screen
The best Apple Watch apps in 2025
iPhone 16 being used for astrophotography.
I tried astrophotography on my iPhone 16 to shoot galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters — here's the results
Apple iPhone 16 held in the hand.
Just got a new iPhone 16? Try these 10 features first
Latest in Smartwatches
Close-up of the Amazfit Active 2 and Apple Watch SE next to each other on a user's wrist
I put the Apple Watch SE vs Amazfit Active 2 through a 7-round face-off — here's the winner
The Apple Watch Series 10 on display at the device's launch in September 2024
Apple Watch sales plummet 19% as smartwatch market declines for first time
apple watch 4
Apple Watch escapes U.S. import ban after court victory in patent case
Apple Watch Ultra 2 on a black silicone strap and Amazfit T-Rex 3 on an orange silicone strap shown side-by-side on a user's wrist
I walked 10,000 steps with Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Amazfit T-Rex 3 —here's the winner
Close-up of the Amazfit Active 2 on a user's wrist with the maps display shown
I just tested the Amazfit Active 2 — 7 things you should know about my favorite smartwatch under $100
The Circular Ring 2, up close, with half of the device slightly obstructed by orange glass in the foreground
Circular Ring 2 is now available to pre-order — and you could save up to $310 right now
Latest in News
Google Chromecast
Google has a fix for broken Chromecasts as long as you didn't factory reset
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Friday, March 14 (#642)
Nvidia ACE
I played with Nvidia's AI NPC prototypes — now they're real, and I fear I'll never finish a game again
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Biggest rumored differences
Intel CPU
Intel's Panther Lake appears in public for the first time — what we know about the new chip
OnePlus Pad 2 with keyboard
OnePlus Pad 2 Pro specs leak — this tablet is a beast