Apple Watch SE is an affordable alternative for Apple Watch Series 6. The watch is not waterproof but water resistant up to a depth of 50 meters below water (ISO standard 228:2010).
That means Apple Watch SE can still be used for shallow-water activities like swimming and taking a shower.
However, the Apple Watch SE should not be worn when water skiing, scuba diving, or indulging in other high-velocity water activities.
It is also important to note that, Apple Watch SE’s ability to resist water is not permanent. It will diminish as time goes by.
Fortunately, you can prevent that from happening fast by avoiding soaps, shampoos, detergents, saunas, lotions, etc. as they tend to leak into the watch via tight seals and glue.
Can I Swim With My SE Apple Watch?
Apple Watch SE features a water resistance rating of 5ATM, which means it can be worn in the pool.
Apart from just resisting water from sipping through while swimming, Apple Watch SE can track swim strokes, the number of laps, distances covered, and calorie goals either when Pool Swimming at the swimming pool or Open Water Swimming at the beach.
To get measurements and metrics that are more accurate, users should manually enter the length of their swimming pool.
Users can go further and optimize their swimming sessions by choosing the metric they want to be displayed on the watch when the screen is on Water Lock mode.
While tracking swimming with the Apple Watch SE users should make sure the watch is sitting firmly on the wrist for proper tracking.
Once you are done with swimming the watch will provide you a summary of your swimming session and which includes burned calories, total time, laps, distance covered, and the average heart rate. Use the Apple Fitness app to check the strokes you used while swimming in the pool or at the beach.
Without forgetting, Apple Watch SE can automatically start tracking your splits and auto sets when Pool swimming and track splits when Open Water Swimming.
How Long Can Apple Watch Series SE Stay Underwater?
Echoing Apple, Apple Watches the SE included have water resistance ratings of IPX7. A wearable that has a rating of IPX7 can be immersed at a depth of 1 meter for up to half an hour (30 minutes).
Although Apple Watch SE can stay underwater for that long and the digital crown still zooms on and out of apps, the touchscreen feature still does not work.
What Do I Do If My Apple Watch Gets Wet?
What you should do when your Apple watch gets wet is wipe it dry using a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. Do not think of using compressed air, heat, or sprays on the watch if it gets wet.
Always wipe off the watch and its bands after a workout to get rid of sweat (especially if you sweat a lot). If the watch got wet as a result of swimming, use lightly running, fresh water.
After that wipe the Apple Watch and its bands dry. If after swimming the speaker on the Apple Watch SE muffles simply turn the digital crown to eject the water trapped in the speaker vents.
Eject Water From Apple Watch SE After Swimming
In case you are taking a break from swimming simultaneously hold the side button and the crown to pause the swimming workout.
To resume the swim workout press the same buttons simultaneously. When done with swimming users are supposed to wipe the Apple Watch dry then turn the digital crown to disable the water lock function and hence unlock the screen.
Once the screen is unlocked the watch will make some sounds and eject any water that might have stuck in the speaker vent.
Consider this a MUST procedure after swimming because it prevents your Apple Watch SE’s internal components from getting damaged which could result or inaccurate data.
Water Lock Mode on Apple Watch SE
Apple Watch SE will automatically activate the Water Lock mode when you start swimming activities. It does this to avoid accidental taps which are common when the screen gets wet.
Those with Apple Watch Ultra get the Water Lock feature automatically activated when the watch is immersed in water to a depth of 10cm. To turn on the Water Lock feature on Apple Watch SE do the following:
- Touch and hold the bottom of your Apple Watch’s display and wait for the Apple Watch Control Center to show then swipe up.
- Tap on the Water Lock symbol which appears at the top of the watch face.
Turning the water lock feature off is even simpler. Simply turn the digital crown on the side of your Apple Watch SE until the word Unlocked shows on the display after which a series of sounds will play to eject water from speaker vents.
What Happens If Apple Watch Gets Wet without Water Mode?
You really have nothing to worry about when your Apple Watch SE gets wet without activating mode. In fact, when you set the Apple SE to swimming workout it will turn the water mode automatically on its own.
In case you forgot to set the watch not a swimming workout and entered the shower with it or dived into the swimming nothing is going to happen.
Remember, Apple Watch SE features a water resistance rating of 5ATM, which means it can withstand water pressures of up to 50 meters below water.
Is Apple Watch Waterproof without Water Lock?
Apple Watches like the Apple SE can still resist water even without the Water Lock feature.
Remember the water Lock is just an onboard feature that will lock your watch’s display when in water or around to prevent unintended touches.
Plus helps eject water stuck in the speaker vent. Keep this in mind, Apple Watches like the Apple SE can stay waterproof even without the Water Lock mode.
Should You Turn on Water Lock Before Shower?
Not necessarily but it would be a great move especially when you don’t want the watch to perform accidental taps that may end up tampering with your settings or making unintended calls.
Does Water Lock Turn On Automatically?
Yes, the Water Lock feature on Apple Watch SE will turn on automatically. But for it to happen you need to tell the watch that you are about to take part in water activity.
And to do so start the swim workout. On the other hand, Apple Watch Ultra will automatically have the Water Lock feature turn on when immersed in water 10cm or lower.
When Should I Use Water Lock On Apple Watch?
You don’t need to use the Water Lock feature on Apple Watch SE when in the shower. The Water Lock mode is great when swimming and that’s because when swimming the watch is fully immersed in water where a lot of taps (unwanted) can happen.
What Does Water Lock Do?
Apple Watch is still waterproof without the water lock feature. What Water lock does is it makes your display unresponsive to touch. It will assume all the taps are accidental until it’s turned off.
And how do I know if water lock is on? Knowing if the water lock mode is on is easy, the water lock icon will appear at the bottom of the screen’s lock.
How Do I Prepare My Apple Watch for Swimming?
To prepare your Apple Watch for swimming, open the workout app then scroll to Pool Swim or Open Water Swim. Start the workout and wait for a 3-second countdown.