Apple Watch Fan

Question

Apple Watch Fan

I had a Series 3 Apple Watch that had started to make a "fan" noise when I would move my wrist quickly off of my mouse when working at my computer. It started randomly and I tried to clean out the vents on the side in case it was overheating, but that wasn't making a difference. I had purchased the watch refurbished and had it a long time, so I decided to just order a new watch. I ordered a refurbished SE watch and today is the first day I've worn it to work and it is doing the exact same thing. I do not notice it outside of work maybe just because there is normally too much noise to catch it, but I can't seem to figure out what the issue is. Any suggestions?

Apple Watch SE, watchOS 7

Posted on Feb 4, 2022 6:38 AM

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Answer 1

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Phil0124

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Feb 4, 2022 7:17 AM in response to chelsealgarcia

Maybe the Water lock being disabled? How to use Water Lock and eject water from your Apple Watch - Apple Support

It will make a sound even if no water is being ejected.

Or does it happen soon after trying to send a message or an email on the watch?

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Answer 2

Feb 4, 2022 6:52 AM in response to chelsealgarcia

Apple watches have no fans or vents. Whatever is making the noise is not a fan. Probably the band scratching against your wrist or the movement of the watch over your arm.

Its definitely not a heat issue.

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Answer 3

Feb 4, 2022 7:03 AM in response to Phil0124

Sorry, I had found a forum the other day talking about fans and it must have been for the computers and not the watches. My band is tight to my wrist, so there is no movement there. There is a sound being expelled from the watch itself. It resembles a fan or the sound maybe of a hard drive spin up in a computer.

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Answer 4

Feb 4, 2022 7:35 AM in response to Phil0124

I know the sound that the Water Lock makes when ejecting water and this is not it. I don't even have to be getting notifications on the watch, let alone be sending anything outgoing for this to happen. I am simply resting my hand on my mouse and I go to pick up my hand to type on my keyboard or grab some papers or something and it happens. So it seems that it is happening when I have been still for a few minutes.

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Answer 5

Feb 4, 2022 10:51 AM in response to chelsealgarcia

Does this noise happen only in one place (work) and with one computer, or does this noise arise in other environments (home) when making the same movement with a similar mouse and a different computer and different location?

If you temporarily switch your (work) mouse to the other handedness setting, and also switch your watch on the other wrist and the other handedness setting (Watch app > General > Orientation), and make the same move off the mouse, does the noise persist?

If there are multiple computers in cubicles or offices, see if the problem repeats when working in a different location.

If the mouse is unplugged from the computer and you make the same move, does the problem repeat?

Wired or wireless mouse? Try a different mouse.

I'd expect this is some noise in the office environment you're hearing, maybe a sound reflection off the watch though that would be weird, maybe some interference (also) causing audio output from another sound source in proximity such as a computer speaker, and not the Watch. But I'd suspect this is an ambient noise.