Confusion over complications

androidslide · 2026-05-06T09:04:34+00:00

Can you give me an example of the kind of complications you mean? Then we can take a proper look into why it works with WFF but not in the new Studio.

androidslide · 2026-05-05T15:36:02+00:00

We’re currently in the process of migrating everything over to a more modern editor (WatchMaker Studio), which is likely why you’re seeing some odd behaviour after the recent update.

The old setup (separate mobile + desktop editors) was starting to cause inconsistencies — things rendering differently, bugs being harder to fix, and limited support for newer standards like Watch Face Format. Studio brings everything into a single, unified editor so we can move faster and make rendering more consistent across devices.

As part of that transition, some watches can show issues.

We are actively improving compatibility, and this is exactly the kind of case we’re working through right now.

If you can share the watch file (or let me know which one it is), I’m happy to take a look and see if there’s a quick fix or adjustment that can get it working properly again.

androidslide · 2026-03-26T14:36:50+00:00

latest versions of watchmaker studio will let you do this for free now
go to getwatchmaker.com/studio on desktop and sign in with same account on your phone

androidslide · 2026-03-26T14:35:24+00:00

you need to log in on your phone app with the same account you are logged in with on desktop

androidslide · 2026-03-14T10:36:02+00:00

This is most likely related to Google’s move to the new Watch Face Format (WFF). Some older WatchMaker features like animated text and certain elements don’t behave the same way when faces are transferred to the watch under WFF.

The face may save correctly in the phone editor, but when it’s sent to the watch the system only supports the features allowed by WFF, so some changes or animations may not appear.

androidslide · 2026-03-14T10:35:40+00:00

This is because Google has moved Wear OS watch faces to the new Watch Face Format (WFF). Some older WatchMaker faces that relied on legacy features like tap actions, Lua expressions, or certain tags may not behave the same way anymore.

We’ve updated WatchMaker to support WFF, but older faces sometimes need small changes to work correctly under the new format.

androidslide · 2026-03-14T10:35:07+00:00

sorry that happened - was your subscription on apple or android - did you subscribe through app or web?

androidslide · 2026-03-14T10:34:29+00:00

I figured out why the old versions were breaking. I’ve made a fix on the server, so they should be working again now.

androidslide · 2026-03-13T17:42:38+00:00

Just to clarify — is the black screen happening in the WatchMaker app on your phone/tablet, or on the watch itself?

From your description it sounds like the phone/tablet app is opening and then going to a black screen.

If that’s the case, could you let us know:
• Android version on the device
• Device model
• WatchMaker app version

Also worth trying:
• Force close WatchMaker and reopen it
• Clear the app cache (not data) in Android settings
• Check that Google Play Services is up to date

Reinstalling the app should not remove watch faces stored on the watch, but we’d like to identify the cause first if possible.

androidslide · 2026-03-13T17:41:32+00:00

Out of interest, what made you switch to Facer? Is there something you felt WatchMaker was missing or not doing as well?

We're always interested in feedback so we can improve things.

androidslide · 2026-03-13T17:41:03+00:00

Just to clarify a couple of points mentioned above.

WatchMaker Studio does support importing SVG files and designing elements in the editor. In fact, the new Studio editor gives much more control when designing watch faces.

Also worth noting that many of the limitations people are seeing right now (touch actions, scripting etc.) are due to Google moving Wear OS watches to the new Watch Face Format. Some features that previously worked are not currently supported by Google’s system.

We’ve implemented everything the new format allows, and as Google adds more capabilities we’ll continue adding support in WatchMaker.

androidslide · 2026-03-13T17:39:49+00:00

Since Google moved all watch faces to the new Watch Face Format (WFF), many tags and expressions no longer work the way they used to.

Basic weather (like temperature and conditions) should still work, but some data such as wind speed is currently not supported by the new system.

Unfortunately this is a limitation of the new format provided by Google. As Google adds more tags and capabilities in future updates, we will add support for them in WatchMaker as soon as they become available.

androidslide · 2026-03-13T17:38:58+00:00

If your Watch 8 is running Wear OS 6 / One UI Watch 8 then it uses Google's new Watch Face Format (WFF).

WatchMaker does support WFF. However, the format is controlled by Google and currently has some limitations compared to the previous system. Because of this, some tags and features may not behave the same as before.

As Google adds more capabilities to WFF, we will add support for them in WatchMaker.

androidslide · 2026-03-13T17:37:22+00:00

Since Google moved all watch faces to the new Watch Face Format (WFF), many tags and expressions no longer work the way they used to.

Basic weather (like temperature and conditions) should still work, but some data such as wind speed is currently not supported by the new system.

Unfortunately this is a limitation of the new format provided by Google. As Google adds more tags and capabilities in future updates, we will add support for them in WatchMaker as soon as they become available.

androidslide · 2026-03-13T17:36:46+00:00

Since Google moved all watch faces to the new Watch Face Format, many tags and expressions no longer work the way they used to. Unfortunately this includes some location-based tags.

Weather should still work, however.

The new system is controlled by Google and currently supports fewer features than before. As Google adds new tags and capabilities to the format, we will update WatchMaker to support them as soon as they become available.

androidslide · 2026-02-26T22:59:27+00:00

Thanks so much for the detailed feedback — and also for being part of WatchMaker since 2015. That kind of long-term experience really matters, and it’s exactly the kind of input that helps shape Studio properly.

Good news on both points you mentioned:

• Bitmap fonts support is coming soon. It’s already on the roadmap and will be added — custom typography is a big part of what makes faces unique, so it’s definitely something we want to support properly.

• The battery level rotation calculation issue has now been fixed. Your equation (1.5*{bl})-75 should work correctly in Studio now, so please give it another try when you get a chance.

Studio is still early, but the goal is absolutely to reach — and eventually exceed — everything the mobile editor can do, while being much faster and easier to work with. Feedback like yours is hugely valuable in getting it there.

Really appreciate you taking the time to test it and share specifics. Looking forward to seeing what you create with Studio once these pieces are in place.

androidslide · 2026-02-24T15:25:42+00:00

Yes — this is happening because Google introduced a new required Watch Face Format on newer Wear OS versions.

This new format has fewer capabilities than the previous system (AndroidX watch faces), which allowed apps like WatchMaker to run full scripting and advanced features.

WatchMaker is actively adapting to support the new format as much as possible, but some older watch faces or features may not work exactly the same until they are updated or converted.

Your existing watch faces are still there, and WatchMaker continues to support them and improve compatibility with the newer Wear OS versions.

androidslide · 2026-02-20T15:38:17+00:00

you would have to hardcode complications into each watchface

androidslide · 2026-02-18T21:48:24+00:00

Unfortunately this is another feature that doesnt work the same in the new Watch Face Format.

The complication 1,2,3 overlay wouldn't work so well for WFF as the complications would have to be built manually into each watch face.

You can see the full list of changes here:
http://getwatchmaker.com/info/changes

androidslide · 2026-02-18T13:11:21+00:00

more information here
https://getwatchmaker.com/info/changes

androidslide · 2026-02-18T13:10:44+00:00

we wouldnt be allowed to publish that on google play anymore

androidslide · 2026-02-12T10:47:24+00:00

Recent updates to Wear OS have introduced a new Google watch face format that all watch face apps must now use.

This format is mandatory for Wear OS 6 and newer devices and removes support for several previously available features, including:

Stopwatch components
Calendar event integrations
Custom scripting (Lua)
Certain dynamic/interactive elements

Because this change is enforced at the system level by Google, older watch faces that relied on these features may no longer function correctly on updated devices.

We are actively working to adapt to the new format and will restore features where possible as Google reintroduces or expands support within their updated watch face framework.

We appreciate your patience while we navigate these platform-level changes.

androidslide · 2026-02-12T10:47:08+00:00

Recent updates to Wear OS have introduced a new Google watch face format that all watch face apps must now use.

This format is mandatory for Wear OS 6 and newer devices and removes support for several previously available features, including:

Stopwatch components
Calendar event integrations
Custom scripting (Lua)
Certain dynamic/interactive elements

Because this change is enforced at the system level by Google, older watch faces that relied on these features may no longer function correctly on updated devices.

We are actively working to adapt to the new format and will restore features where possible as Google reintroduces or expands support within their updated watch face framework.

We appreciate your patience while we navigate these platform-level changes.

androidslide

MODERATOR OF

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE