Are Apple Watches Waterproof? Explained

Wondering if your Apple Watch is waterproof? Or, are you planning to buy a waterproof Apple Watch that can survive your scuba diving adventures? Don’t arrive at any conclusions before you know all the basics. In this article, we’ll figure out are Apple Watches waterproof and what to do if your Apple Watch gets wet. Also, we’ve wrapped up the article with some tips to avoid any water damage on your smartwatch. No more waiting, let’s get started right away!

Are Apple Watches Waterproof?

To simply answer this question, Apple Watches aren’t waterproof, rather they are water-resistant. Although most Apple Watches won’t get damaged when exposed to water, the level of water resistance varies from model to model. Therefore, before you take your Apple Watch to swimming, pool parties, or scuba diving, you should know if your Apple Watch has enough water resistance to survive such activities. Also, Apple’s one-year warranty doesn’t cover water damage, so you need to understand the water-resistance ratings on your Apple Watch clearly.

How Apple calculates dust and water resistance

Before we delve into Apple Watch IP ratings, it is important to understand what IP ratings are. To keep things simple, IP ratings denote the level of protection offered by an electrical device. IP ratings contain two different components – the word IP followed by two digits. The first digit denotes protection against solid foreign objects, whereas the second digit stands for protection against liquids. It is noteworthy that Apple only offers IP ratings for dust resistance and all Apple Watch models from Series 8 onwards have an IP6X dust resistance rating (here, X stands that there’s no data available for liquid particles).

Unlike most devices, Apple doesn’t use the IP water resistance rating for Apple Watch and iPhone. Rather, it uses the standard rating method based on depth. For example, starting from Apple Watch Series 2 until Series 8 is rated for 50 meters of water depth.

Apple Watch Models & IP Ratings

Note: Water resistance is not a permanent condition and it diminishes with time.

We’ve compared all the models based on their sweat & water resistance levels. Let’s check it out.

Are Apple Watch Bands Waterproof?

Now that you know whether Apple Watches are waterproof or not, you must be wondering what about Apple Watch bands. Not all Apple Watch bands are waterproof or even water-resistant. Here, are different types of Apple Watch bands and the permissible water activities you can perform while wearing them.

What to do if Apple Watch gets wet?

After you’ve come from a heavy workout, shower, swimming session, or other activity, you should clean & dry your Apple Watch. Here’s how to do it the right way:

• Wipe your Apple Watch and the band with a clean, dry, and lint-free cloth.
• Clean your wrist so that it’s completely dry before you wear your Apple Watch again.
• After swimming, don’t forget to rinse your Apple Watch 2 or later model under lightly running fresh & warm water. Then, wipe the smartwatch and the band gently with a lint-free cloth.
• Never use compressed air, heat, or any kind of spray to dry your smartwatch.
• If water gets inside the speaker or microphone, allow your Apple Watch to charge overnight to speed up evaporation. Make sure you don’t insert anything in the openings or shake your watch to remove water.
• In case water gets into the air vents of Apple Watch Series 3 or later, the barometric altimeter measurements might be less accurate. Don’t worry, everything will get back to normal once the water evaporates.
• If your Apple Watch won’t turn on after liquid damage, you should take it to the nearest Apple service center.

How to get Water Out of My Apple Watch?

When you go for swimming, your Apple Watch automatically enables the Water Lock feature that locks the screen to avoid any accidental taps. On the Apple Watch Ultra, this feature is turned on when it’s submerged to a depth of 10 meters or lower.

• Once you’re done swimming, you can press & hold the Digital Crown to clear water from your Apple Watch.
• You’ll hear a series of tones as the remaining water gets cleared from the speaker.
• To get water out of your Apple Watch manually, swipe up from the Watch Face or press the Side button (on watchOS 10) to reveal the Control Center. Then, tap the Water Lock icon. Finally, press & hold the Digital Crown to unlock the screen & clear the water.

Tips to Maintain Apple Watch Water-Resistance

Since water-resistance isn’t a permanent condition, it can reduce or even diminish with time. Also, there’s no way to check or reseal your Apple Watch for water resistance. To prolong water resistance on your Apple Watch, you should do the following:

• Keep your Apple Watch safe from any harsh drops or other impacts that may damage the display.
• Don’t expose your smartwatch to anything other than fresh water. This includes soap, soapy liquids, detergents, perfumes, lotions, hair dyes, oil, sunscreen, acidic foods, or any other substance.
• Don’t wear your Apple Watch while high diving or cliff diving.
• If you’ve got any other model than the Apple Watch Ultra, you should avoid wearing it to high-velocity water activities (like skiing) or in a sauna.
• Avoid taking your Apple Watch Ultra in a sauna above 55-degree Celsius (130-degree Fahrenheit)