Water lock confusion
I am having some confusion as how to use the water lock feature on the watch. Do I turn it on when I want to go swimming, wash hands? Or does the feature expell water like a coworker of mine suggested?
iOS 11.2.5
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Apple Watch Series 2 & 3 models remain equally water resistant regardless of whether or not Water Lock is turned on.
Water Lock prevents accidental screen interactions during exposure to water and also expels any water from the speaker afterwards.
If you typically get your Apple Watch very wet when washing your hands, then it may help to use the feature at those times, but you may not otherwise find that Water Lock is beneficial under those circumstances.
Planned water exposure (except swimming workouts)
If you plan to get Apple Watch Series 2 or 3 wet under other circumstances than a swimming workout (such as during general wear in a pool), then you can manually turn on Water Lock first and then turn it off again afterwards (which is when water is cleared from inside the speaker):
- Swipe up from the bottom of the watch face to open Control Center > tap on Water Lock to lock the screen.
- When finished: turn the Digital Crown to unlock the screen and to clear water from the speaker.
Swimming workouts
Starting a swimming workout in the Workout app on Apple Watch Series 2 or 3 models automatically enables Water Lock, which locks the screen to prevent accidental interactions during your workout. To finish a workout and expel any water:
- Press the Digital Crown and the side button at the same time (which pauses the workout).
- Turn the Digital Crown, which unlocks the screen and clears any water from inside the watch's speaker (it may make a sound).
- Swipe right and tap on End.
Accidental / other exposure to water
If the watch is exposed to water accidentally at any time or if you forget to enable it before planned exposure to water, Water Lock can be enabled afterwards and then immediately turned off again to expel any water from inside the speaker (by following the same steps as above).
After swimming or exposing it to anything other than fresh water, be sure to clean your Apple Watch Series 2 or 3 by gently rinsing it with warm tap water. The watch and band should also then be dried using a soft, lint-free cloth.
Note that leather and stainless steel bands are not water resistant, so should not be worn in water.
More information:
Work out with your Apple Watch - Apple Support
