How To Give Your Apple Watch The Retro Look (Bonus: Save Battery Life)

Some people like the retro look, which is why things that look like they come from the 1920s tend to be more expensive than things that look like they come from the 2010s. We’re not always big fans of such an aesthetic, but we understand that many people are.

If you find yourself with a hankering to make your brand new Apple Watch look like its screen is broken in the name of retro then you can do just that, and we won’t even try to stop you. In fact, we will go one step further and enable you because that’s how we roll.

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The key to turning your Apple Watch all retro is to rip all of the color out of its interface and make the whole thing decidedly grayscale. The option to do such a thing is actually there in the name of accessibility which is of course a totally legitimate reason, but if you do want to misappropriate said option then here is how to go about it.

Step 1: On your iPhone, launch the Apple Watch app.

Step 2: Now, open ‘General’ and then ‘Accessibility.’

Step 3: Look down and you will see a setting to enable Grayscale mode. Flick that switch and your watch instantly turns back & white. If you want to reverse the process then just flick the switch back and that’s it. You’re done.

It’s worth noting at this point that while there is an accessibility portion of the on-device Apple Watch settings, this particular setting isn’t there. So don’t spend ten minutes looking for it like we did.

Also keep in mind since the Apple Watch is now working in Grayscale mode, your wearable should also last a little bit longer in the battery department. But don’t expect Power Reserve like magic here.

Oh, and a secondary tip? Turn grayscale mode on and use the Mickey Mouse face. It actually looks pretty cool!

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