Because the Apple Watch uses a highly sensitive capacitive touch screen, water droplets can easily mimic the electrical signature of a human finger. If you wear your Apple Watch in the shower, while swimming, or out in heavy rain, the water splashing against the display can cause accidental taps, resulting in apps launching, random messages being sent, or workouts being paused without your knowledge. To prevent this, Apple includes a dedicated Water Lock feature.
How to Activate the Water Lock
You should activate the Water Lock before you submerge your wrist or step into the shower. While the feature does not magically make the watch more waterproof (the physical water resistance seals are always active), it completely disables the touch screen’s responsiveness.
- Wake your Apple Watch screen by tapping it or raising your wrist.
- Swipe up from the very bottom edge of the screen to open the Control Centre.
- Scroll down the list of icons until you find the icon that looks like a single Water Drop.
- Tap the Water Drop icon.
The Control Centre will instantly slide away, and a small blue water drop icon will appear at the top of your watch face. From this point forward, the screen will completely ignore any taps or swipes. You can still see the time and receive notifications, but you cannot interact with the display.
How to Turn Off the Water Lock and Eject Water
Once you are dry and need to use your watch again, turning off the Water Lock initiates an automatic hardware sequence designed to protect the internal speaker.
- Look at the side of your Apple Watch where the Digital Crown (the circular dial) is located.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown for a few seconds. (On older watchOS versions, you may need to rapidly turn the dial instead).
- An animation of a water droplet will appear on the screen, accompanied by a series of loud, vibrating beeps.
Do not be alarmed by the noise. The Apple Watch is intentionally playing specific low-frequency tones through its internal speaker to physically expel any water that has become trapped inside the speaker cavity. Once the beeps finish, the screen will unlock, and you can resume using your watch normally.