Can I Wear An Apple Watch In The Shower?

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The Apple Watch is designed to be worn most of the time, whether jogging or cycling, commuting to the workplace, or relaxing at home. Wearing the watch in the shower, however, may make you feel slightly nervous. 

Can I wear an Apple Watch in the shower?

Apple Watches are resistant to water splashes, and the Apple Watch Series 2 onwards can be submerged in up to 50m of water. However, exposing an Apple Watch to soap can also damage it, and therefore wearing it in the shower is not advised. 

Since 2015, Apple has released many models of its popular Apple Watch. Some of these models have better water resistance than others and therefore are less likely to be damaged by using them in the shower.

In this article, we’ll go into detail on the water resistance of Apple Watches and discuss whether wearing yours in the shower is a good or bad idea. 

Can I Wear an Apple Watch In The Shower?

The water resistance of electronic devices like smartphones and smartwatches has come a long way in the past twenty years. For the older generation, using a digital device around water is something they habitually avoid, as this would risk permanent damage in previous years. 

Apple Watches are designed to be used for many different purposes. Sports and fitness fanatics can use them to provide useful data and analysis of their performances when jogging, cycling, swimming, and more. 

However, when it comes to showering, most instinctively feel that wearing an Apple Watch is not a good idea. After all, is it worth risking damaging the watch for the sake of not removing it for ten minutes or so? 

The first two generations of the Apple Watch were rated as “splash and water resistant,” but Apple does not recommend submerging them in water. As a result, I’d advise against using these models in the shower, as they will be constantly subjected to water rather than splashed periodically. 

From the Apple Watch 3 onward, the water resistance improved drastically. If you own one of these Apple Watches, they should be able to handle being worn in the shower as they have the capacity to be used while swimming. 

The main issue you’re going to run into here is that even though the Apple Watch should be able to handle the water it is exposed to in the shower, Apple strongly advises against exposing it to soap or soapy water. 

If you use soap or shower gel, it will be challenging to prevent it from coming into contact with your Apple Watch. This, therefore, goes against Apple’s advice and may damage the device. 

Indeed, if you can keep the watch from getting soap on it, showering with it shouldn’t be an issue. But the effort this involves is probably not worth it for the sake of saving ten seconds to remove it and put it back on your wrist when you get out of the shower!

How Does Apple Watch Eject Water?

One of the most innovative features of the Apple Watch is the Water Lock, which is designed to prevent too much water from getting into the watch. Water Lock is paired with the ability to eject water from the watch. 

Firstly, the Water Lock feature will automatically come on if you start a swimming activity. Alternatively, you can manually activate it by opening the Control Center and tapping the Water Lock icon, which is a small water droplet symbol. 

Once you’ve gotten out of the water, you can then eject any water that got into the Apple Wach. To do this, simply press and hold on the side of your Apple Watch where the Digital Crown is located until the display unlocks, 

You’ll then hear several different tones played through the Apple Watch speakers. These tones are designed to clear any water that has gotten into the speaker through vibration. 

The tones played through the inbuilt speaker are specifically chosen to vibrate any water droplets out of the watch so that they don’t cause any damage. 

The water is then ejected from the speaker and out of the watch, and you can return to using your Apple Watch immediately. This process doesn’t remove all of the water, but if you’ve used the Water Lock properly, there shouldn’t be hardly any left inside the watch. 

The eject water feature is only really effective when the Water Lock is used before the Apple Watch is submerged in water. 

Here’s a YouTube video demonstrating how water ejects from the watch:

Does Water Lock Turn on Automatically? 

Water Lock turns on automatically when you embark on a workout in the water, such as swimming, surfing, or if you’re using the Apple Watch Ultra, also when scuba diving. 

Swimmers and surfers can use the Apple Watch to track their workouts, gather data on the distance they cover, and more. The Water Lock feature ensures minimal water can make its way into the internal part of the watch to reduce the chance of damage occurring. 

Selecting a water-based workout on your Apple Watch automatically triggers the Water Lock to turn on. However, if you don’t do this, the Water Lock won’t come on, and you risk damaging the watch. 

You can manually turn the Water Lock on and off when using the Apple Watch in or near water. It’s a good idea to do this even if you’re not fully submerged in water, for example, when you’re outside, and it’s raining heavily. 

Turning off the Water Lock by holding down the side of the watch face where the Digital Crown is positioned will trigger several tones to be played through the inbuilt speaker. 

This expels any water from inside the speakers, and then you can go back to using your Apple Watch display. 

Is Apple Watch 7 Fully Waterproof? 

The seventh-generation Apple Watch offers several benefits over its predecessor, including a larger display screen, a more durable design, and a new chip. Furthermore, it charges faster than any Apple Watch that came before it. 

One of the areas that Apple has chosen not to improve is the Apple Watch 7’s water resistance. It can handle the same amount of water as each model since the Apple Watch 2, with its WR50 rating. 

A WR50 rating indicates that a device is water resistant up to a distance of 50m below surface level (164ft). Although the Apple Watch 7 is not entirely waterproof, it boasts impressive water resistance. 

Using the Apple Watch in the rain or while washing your hands certainly won’t pose any risk to the device. You can also wear the watch in the shower, but ensure you avoid getting soap on it as this can damage the internal parts. 

The Apple Watch 7 can also be used when bathing or swimming in a pool or the sea. When you swim with the watch on, activate the swimming activity on the watch so that the Water Lock feature comes on automatically. 

You should avoid using the watch while diving, scuba diving, or performing any other deep water activity. 

The Water Lock feature of the Apple Watch 7 ensures that the watch is protected from water damage by securing the face and preventing moisture from quickly getting in. You can then eject any water that has made its way into the watch after you get out of the pool or the sea. 

Related Questions

Is the Apple Watch actually waterproof?

All Apple Watches from the second generation onward is water resistant up to 50m. This means that although they’re not fully waterproof, they can be used in shallow waters for activities like swimming and surfing. 

What should I do if my Apple Watch gets wet? 

If water splashes onto your Apple Watch, you can wipe it off with a lint-free cloth. Water splashes shouldn’t cause the watch any damage, even if you don’t have the Water Lock feature activated. 

Should you turn on Water Lock before showering?

You should only turn on Water Lock if submerging the Apple Watch in water. For example, if you’re going to swim lengths in a pool, the water lock should be turned on, but in a shower, it’s not necessary. 

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