What Is Water Lock on Apple Watch?
Water Lock is an Apple Watch feature that stops the screen responding to touch in water, then plays tones to push water out of the speaker when you turn it off. It prevents accidental taps while you swim. The water ejection happens as you leave Water Lock.
How to Turn On Water Lock
To turn on Water Lock, open Control Center on the watch and tap the water drop icon.
- Open Control Center. Press the side button on recent watchOS versions, or swipe up from the bottom of the watch face on older ones.
- Tap the water drop icon. You may need to scroll to find it.
- Check that the drop icon now shows on the watch face.
Water Lock turns on by itself when you start a water workout, such as a pool swim or surfing.
How to Eject Water From an Apple Watch
To eject water from an Apple Watch, unlock Water Lock with the Digital Crown and let the tones play.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown on recent watchOS versions. On older versions, turn the Digital Crown instead.
- Wait while the watch plays a series of tones. You may see and feel water leaving the speaker.
- Use the watch as normal once the tones stop and the screen unlocks.
If the speaker still sounds muffled after a long swim, turn Water Lock on and off again to run a second round.
How Does Water Lock Push Water Out?
Water Lock pushes water out by vibrating the speaker with tones, so each movement throws droplets out through the speaker holes. The Slow Mo Guys filmed the process in close-up slow motion, showing the speaker grille vibrating and droplets leaving the watch. It's the same principle a phone speaker cleaner uses.
Which Apple Watch Models Have Water Lock?
Apple Watch Series 2 and later models have Water Lock. The original Apple Watch and Series 1 don't have it.
How Water-Resistant Is an Apple Watch?
Standard Apple Watch models are water-resistant to 50 metres, and the Apple Watch Ultra models to 100 metres.
| Model line | Rated depth |
|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 2 and later, SE | 50 metres |
| Apple Watch Ultra | 100 metres |
The Ultra models are rated for recreational scuba diving. Water resistance isn't permanent and can decrease over time. For how phone ratings compare, see IP68 vs IP67.
Does the Same Trick Work on an iPhone?
No, iPhone doesn't have a built-in version of Water Lock. You can get the same effect by playing a low tone through the iPhone speaker. Follow the steps in the iPhone speaker cleaner guide.
Speaker cleaner
Free speaker cleaner that plays a 165 Hz tone to push water and dust out of iPhone and Android speakers.