Can You Shower With Apple Watch? (Know The Risk!)
Wearing an Apple Watch throughout your day can help you keep track of exercise, check notifications, and handle all sorts of other daily tasks. The watch has a feature for almost every activity you can think of, but what are you supposed to do about the shower?
It is recommended to avoid wearing an Apple watch in the shower. Water resistance and water lock are meant to reduce the risk of damage from water, but soap from the shower can cause damage to the water seals and lead to internal issues that may be difficult to fix.
Each series has slightly different ratings and recommendations. Keep reading to learn how to best care for your Apple watch.
Water Resistance by Series
Each series of Apple Watch has slightly different ratings regarding water resistance. Apple Warranty does not cover water damage because the watches are rated water resistant, and not water-proof in any way. Check which model you have to make sure you are taking care of it properly.
If you have the Apple Watch Series 1, you definitely don’t want to shower with it on. The water resistance rating claims that the watch can be in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes, but it really isn’t designed to handle anything more than some splashes from washing your hands or being caught in the rain.
This watch is resistant to splashes but really can’t handle anything more than a couple of drops. If you are doing anything more than just washing your hands in the sink, you need to take it off. When you are showering is the perfect time to put the watch on the charger and make sure it is ready to go when you are done.
The Apple Watch Series 2 and later can handle a lot more. These newer watches can be submerged in up to 50 meters of water without sustaining damage, as long as you are using the water lock. If the water is deep, dirty, or coming with high velocity (water skiing or diving) you should take off the watch at any depth of water.
In theory, this means that showering with the watch on is fine as long as you turn the water lock on. However, the water from the shower head really isn’t an issue, the real problem comes from the soaps and other products you are using while you are in the shower.
It is also important to consider what type of watch band you have. Bands that are made of leather or metal are going to be damaged by any water contact. This includes many of the bands sold by Apple including the Leather Lopp, Classic Buckle, Modern Buckle, Milanese, and Link Bracelet bands. Bands made out of absorbent fabric are generally fine to get wet, but having a soggy watch band on your wrist for hours after can be pretty uncomfortable.
If you do plan to get your watch wet regularly opt for a band made of silicone rubber.
Using Water Lock
If you are ever showering without using any soaps or products, or doing some other water activity, and want to wear your Apple watch, make sure to use the water lock feature.
When the water lock is turned on it locks the screen so you don’t have to worry about controls accidentally being activated from water drops or accidental taps. Turn on the water lock by tapping the water drop icon found on the quick access menu when you swipe up on the lock screen of your Apple Watch.
The most important function happens when you disengage the water lock by either pressing and holding the digital crown or turning the digital crown depending on your model.
The watch will then play a series of tones that will clear out any water that has gotten inside the speakers and watch. You will likely see a few drops of water come from under the watch, and you should dry them off with a clean soft towel.
It is important to note that the water lock does not prevent water from getting in the speakers, it just clears out what does get inside. This is why you should not wear your Apple Watch in the shower, assuming you are using soaps and other products. The water lock can clear out the water that gets inside, but it cannot clear out the soapy residue left from your shower products.
Soaps and Lotions
Soapy residue inside of the speakers can wear on the water seal creating water resistance and helping the water be pushed out with the water lock feature. Getting soapy water on your watch a few times on accident probably will not create a huge problem, but consistently showering with your watch on likely will.
Soap residue can build up, causing more and more damage over time. This will affect the speaker quality and can gum up the power button and digital crown movement. Eventually, showering can cause internal issues as the water and soap work their way inside the watch.
It isn’t just soap that can cause this type of damage. Shaving creams, conditioners, shower gels, body scrubs, face wash, lotions, perfume, detergent, hair dye, oils, sunscreen, insect repellent, and solvents can all damage your Apple Watch.
If you are using any of these products during your shower, or have any of these products already on your hair or body before getting in the shower, you need to remove your Apple Watch to prevent damage to the water resistance properties of the watch and the acoustic membranes.
If one of these products does accidentally come into contact with your watch, you should clean your watch as soon as possible. You want to remove any chemical compound that could be on or in the watch. Rinse your Apple Watch off in clean, warm water, and then dry it off with a clean cloth.
Make sure the cloth you use doesn’t produce any lint because you don’t want lint to create blockages in the speakers or restrict the movement of the buttons. This is also a great time to use the water lock to get as much cleared out as you can.