The ability to change the watch face with swipe will be optional
With watchOS 10.2, users will now be able to change the active dial very quickly. Swiping left or right on the watch view will allow you to switch between existing watch faces. However, this feature does not come turned on by default. In order to use it, it is necessary to open it under the Apple Watch Clock settings menu.
In watchOS 9, Apple allowed changing watch faces with a swipe gesture without making any settings. Apple must have received so much criticism from users that watch faces could easily change accidentally, so it removed this feature in watchOS 10 and introduced a long-press requirement to change the active watch face. The company is now bringing back this feature. With watchOS 10.2, the user will be able to use this feature if he wishes, or keep it off if he does not want.