Apple Watch is one of the few devices with a water eject built in. After swimming or a shower, the speaker can sound muffled until the water is out. Water Lock fixes that in a few seconds.
How to use Water Lock
- Open Control Center (swipe up from the watch face).
- Tap the water drop icon. On watchOS 10 and later, press the side button to open Control Center. The screen locks so water cannot tap buttons by accident.
- To unlock, press and hold the Digital Crown (on older watchOS versions, turn it) until the watch says it is unlocked.
- You will hear a series of tones and may feel water on your wrist. That is the speaker pushing water out.
On recent models you can also start a swim workout, and Water Lock turns on by itself.
Why it works
The tones make the tiny speaker move quickly. Each movement pushes air, and the air pushes droplets out through the speaker holes. Our Water Eject tool uses the same idea for phones, with a 165 Hz tone.
Still sounds muffled?
- Run Water Lock again 2 or 3 times.
- Hold the watch with the speaker side facing down while it ejects.
- Rinse it with fresh water after the sea or a pool, then dry it. Salt and chlorine can leave residue.
- Leave it to air dry. Do not use a hair dryer or compressed air.
Does iPhone have Water Lock?
No. iPhone has no built-in water eject. You can play the tone from Safari with our iPhone Water Eject page, no Shortcut needed.
Good habits
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Swimming | Turn on Water Lock before you get in |
| Shower | Avoid soap and shampoo on the watch |
| Sea water | Rinse with fresh water after |
| Sauna | Take it off; heat can weaken seals |
Common questions
Will Water Lock damage the speaker?
No. It is a built-in feature designed for exactly this.
My AirPods got wet too. What now?
AirPods are not waterproof. Follow our guide on what to do when AirPods get wet and use the Earbuds Cleaner once they are dry on the outside.
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