While your Apple Watch (Series 2 or newer) is water-resistant, common shower supplies such as lotion, shampoo, and conditioner could damage your Watch. Use the Water-Lock feature if showering with your Apple Watch.
Read on to discover the different advantages and disadvantages of showering with your Apple Watch.
- Can I Shower With My Apple Watch?
- What Are the Advantages of Showering With an Apple Watch?
- What Are the Risks of Showering With an Apple Watch?
- Is My Apple Watch Band Waterproof?
- Does the Series of Apple Watch Affect Its Water Resistance?
- What Does My Apple Watch’s Water-Lock Do?
- What Should I Do To Prevent Damage if I Shower With an Apple Watch?
- How Can I Clean My Apple Watch if It Comes in Contact With Non-Water Liquids?
Can I Shower With My Apple Watch?
While you can choose to shower with your Apple Watch, it is not recommended because of the possibility of damage to your Apple Watch.
Discover the pros and cons of showering with your Apple Watch.
What Are the Advantages of Showering With an Apple Watch?
You may be interested in wearing your Apple Watch in the shower for several reasons, including for convenience or easy access to notifications.
1. Convenience
Your Apple Watch may feel like a necessary extension of you, especially if you wear it most of the day and possibly night. For convenience’s sake, you may naturally want to keep your Apple Watch on while hopping into the shower.
Having your Apple Watch on may feel completely second-nature, and you may even find it difficult to think about removing it!
2. Access to Notifications
You may also choose to wear your Apple Watch while showering because of the quick access to notifications. If you find yourself waiting on an important call or text message, you may be tempted to keep your Apple Watch on instead of craning your neck to try and read your phone screen when it lights up.
We are typically connected to the outside world on a 24/7, ongoing basis, so you may feel as if you could miss something important by being disconnected.
What Are the Risks of Showering With an Apple Watch?
While you may be tempted to shower while wearing your Apple Watch, consider the following risks before making a decision.
1. Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant
These terms, while seeming similar, actually have very different meanings. Waterproof items will not absorb water or allow water to penetrate the item at all. Examples of waterproof items include rubber, concrete, and polyurethane.
Water-resistant items, however, have a much higher likelihood of absorbing water. They can usually handle lower-impact liquids such as humidity or rain. However, regularly exposing water-resistant items to water may result in eventual damage.
Because your Apple Watch boasts of being water-resistant, you would ideally want to avoid an excessive amount of exposure to water.
2. Possible Damage
While water itself will not typically damage Apple Watches as recent as Series 2 or newer, your Apple Watch could be damaged by other liquids such as perfumes, lotions, soaps, conditioners, and shampoos.
Contact with these hygiene products may wear down your Watch’s water seals, which would then create issues for water itself.
Is My Apple Watch Band Waterproof?
Don’t neglect to think about your Watch band when considering showering with your Apple Watch! Apple Watch bands come in a variety of materials, and some may be more easily damaged by water and other products such as shampoo and conditioner.
According to CNET, look out for Apple’s “classic buckle, leather loop, link bracelet bands, Milanese, and modern buckle” watch bands as not being water-resistant.
Does the Series of Apple Watch Affect Its Water Resistance?
Series 2 Apple Watches and newer have water-resistant features. As with most tech products, the newer the watch, the better the water resistance.
What Does My Apple Watch’s Water-Lock Do?
Your Apple Watch’s Water Lock feature will cause your display screen to become unresponsive to touch so that no accidental input is received. It also, after turning Water Lock off, will eject any water that got into your Watch’s speakers.
What Should I Do To Prevent Damage if I Shower With an Apple Watch?
Here are some things you can do to prevent damage to your Apple Watch.
Avoid Contact With Liquid Hygiene Items
If you choose to shower with an Apple Watch, make sure you take care to avoid interaction between any hygiene items such as shampoo and conditioner and your Watch.
While this may not be entirely avoidable, make an effort to limit contact.
Turn on Water Lock
Before stepping into the shower, turn on your Apple Watch’s Water Lock feature by tapping the Water Lock button (looks like a raindrop) on your Control Center screen.
Once you finish showering, rotate the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch’s side until you see an “Unlocked” message on your watch screen. This will help eject any water remnants from your Apple Watch.
How Can I Clean My Apple Watch if It Comes in Contact With Non-Water Liquids?
Dry your Apple Watch with a lint-free cloth after cleaning it with fresh water if it interacts with liquids such as perfume, shampoo, conditioner, or lotion.
Avoid spray cleaner, compressed air, and any heat-related cleaning. The best way to care for your Apple Watch is simple water and a cloth.
