If you exercise in a humid environment, it is useful to use the water lock on the Apple Watch. This ensures that the screen is not touched unintentionally and that the speaker output is emptied of water after exercise. But the function can also be useful in other situations. In this tip you can read how it works.
- Explanation
- Activate
- Switch off
- When to use
Water lock on the Apple Watch: this is how it works
All models of the Apple Watch are water resistant, but the degree varies per type. For example, the Apple Watch Series 0 and Series 1 are only splash-proof, while the Apple Watch from the Series 2 onwards can be completely submerged without water damage.
The water lock is present on the Apple Watch Series 2 and newer. The water lock is automatically switched on during a swimming workout, but if you want to better protect your Apple Watch during other sports, you can also switch it on manually. It is also useful if you simply want to prevent your screen from being accidentally touched. For example, if you are sitting with a baby or child on your lap. The hands like to grab the Apple Watch and the water lock prevents anything from being activated.
If you enable the function, the screen of your Apple Watch will be completely blocked. The water lock prevents a drop of water, or contact with your surfing suit or other wet clothing, from accidentally tapping something on the screen. You can switch the water lock off again with the Digital Crown.
Activate water lock on the Apple Watch
If you start a swimming workout via the Workout app, the water lock will be activated automatically.
With other workouts and at other times you activate it as follows (even if you are not doing a workout):
- Swipe up on the watch face to reveal the Apple Watch Control Center. If you are in an app, press and hold the bottom of the screen and then swipe up. From watchOS 10, press the side button.
- Tap the button with the water drop. The water lock will now become active immediately. This can be recognized by the blue-green water drop on the dial.
- The screen will now not respond to touch.
Turn off Apple Watch water lock
You can easily switch off the water lock again. You do this in two ways:
- watchOS 9 and later: Press and hold the Digital Crown. The blue ring keeps getting bigger and this is followed by an unlock animation.
- watchOS 8 and earlier: Turn the Digital Crown until the unlock animation appears.
You will now hear a number of beeps. These cause vibrations, which remove any remaining water from the speaker. You can now use the screen normally again.
Do you find the beeps annoying? Then you can also keep your flat hand on the screen immediately after switching off the water lock. The Apple Watch will then immediately stop making sounds, but only do this if you use the water lock for reasons other than swimming or other water-related activities. The beeps actually cause the water to spray out of the speaker. If you stop the beeps, water may remain in the speaker.
When should I use the water lock on the Apple Watch?
As mentioned, the water lock is automatically activated as soon as you start a swimming workout on the Apple Watch. But the use of the water seal can also be useful in other cases:
- While showering with the Apple Watch.
- During a workout outside in the rain.
- During recreational swimming without a workout.
- During other times when you come into contact with (a lot of) water, for example when washing dishes.
- If you want to prevent touching the screen from resulting in unwanted actions. For example, think of a young child sitting on your lap and wanting to touch the screen.
It is not mandatory to use the water seal. It is also not the case that the Apple Watch becomes extra water resistant if you switch on the water lock. It mainly ensures that you do not accidentally touch buttons on the screen and that the speaker sounds good again after swimming. If the speaker sounds dull after the Apple Watch has come into contact with water, it is best to switch the water lock on and off.
