Quick answer: on Apple Watch Series 2 or later, open Control Centre, tap the Water Lock button, then press and hold the Digital Crown until the display says the Watch is unlocked. Apple Watch plays tones to clear water from its speaker. On watchOS 8 or earlier, rotate the Digital Crown instead. For Series 1 or the first-generation Watch, follow the drying advice below.
Which Water Lock controls should I use?
Two controls changed at different times: opening Control Centre and turning off Water Lock. Choose the row for the software on your Watch, rather than following an older video's gesture.
| Software | Open Control Centre | Unlock and eject water |
|---|---|---|
| watchOS 10 or later | Press the side button. | Press and hold the Digital Crown until Unlocked appears. |
| watchOS 9 | Touch and hold the bottom of the screen, then swipe up. | Press and hold the Digital Crown until Unlocked appears. |
| watchOS 8 or earlier | Touch and hold the bottom of the screen, then swipe up. | Rotate the Digital Crown. |
Tap the water-droplet button after opening Control Centre to enable Water Lock. The press-and-hold versus rotate distinction comes from Apple's Water Lock instructions, and the side-button step is shown in Apple's button and gesture guide. Apple's water-resistance page covers Water Lock on Series 2 and later; see the Series 1 advice below for older hardware.
Turn on Water Lock
- Open Control Centre. On current watchOS versions, press the side button.
- Tap the Water Lock button, shown as a water droplet.
- When Water Lock is active, the water icon appears at the top of the watch face and the display does not respond to taps.
Water Lock turns on automatically when you start a water-based workout such as swimming or surfing. Apple says it also turns on automatically during a scuba dive with Apple Watch Ultra.
Eject water from the speaker
- Make sure the Watch is out of the water.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown until the display says the Watch is unlocked.
- Listen for a series of tones. Apple says these tones clear water that remains in the speaker.
For watchOS 8 or earlier, rotate the Digital Crown instead of pressing and holding it. The browser player on SpeakerEject cannot activate this native Watch function, so use the Watch controls above. It is built for a phone's speaker instead: if your phone also got wet during the same swim or spill, open the free water-eject tool there. Apple's Watch tones are a documented feature, unlike the frequency claims made for phone tools, which our evidence review of water-eject frequency claims covers in more detail.
Turn the Digital Crown to unlock and eject water
If you are following an older Apple Watch guide that says to turn the Digital Crown to unlock and eject water, that wording applies to watchOS 8 or earlier. Current watchOS uses press and hold; the purpose is the same, but the gesture changed.
If Water Lock will not turn off
On current watchOS, keep the Watch out of the water and press and hold the Digital Crown until the display says Unlocked; a tap or short press is not the documented action. On watchOS 8 or earlier, rotate the crown. If the Watch is responsive but the control still does not complete, Apple includes a normal restart in its speaker and microphone troubleshooting sequence. Do not substitute a phone or browser tone for the Watch's native function.
If the speaker is still muffled after swimming
- Check for remaining water. Place the microphone or speaker side down on a lint-free microfiber cloth. Apple says water in either port can reduce performance until it evaporates completely.
- Rinse only as Apple documents. After swimming, Apple says to rinse Apple Watch Series 2 and later gently under lightly running, warm, fresh water, then dry the Watch and band. This is also the documented response after accidental contact with soap, shampoo, lotion or another substance.
- Let it dry. Use a lint-free microfiber cloth and a ventilated place. Apple says charging overnight may speed evaporation.
- Do not force the port. Do not shake the Watch, insert objects, or use heat, compressed air, sprays, cleaning liquids or abrasives.
If debris is visible, follow Apple's model-specific cleaning guidance. Apple permits a soft-bristle brush on the speaker ports of Apple Watch Series 10 or later; it does not extend that brush instruction to every model.
If the Watch is dry but sound is still unclear
Apple's current troubleshooting sequence is to update the Watch and paired iPhone, restart the Watch, check Silent Mode and Focus, and review Sounds & Haptics. If the problem persists, Apple next suggests unpairing and pairing again. Use Apple Support if sound remains crackling, distorted, muffled or intermittent after those steps; a water-ejection tone cannot diagnose a blocked port, damaged acoustic membrane or other hardware problem. The paired iPhone follows a separate decision path: see the wet-phone drying and repair guide if its speaker is also affected.
What about Apple Watch Series 1?
Apple's Water Lock instructions apply to Apple Watch Series 2 and later. For Apple Watch Series 1 or earlier, Apple recommends placing the device speaker-side down on a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth and letting accumulated water evaporate. Submerging those models is not recommended.
Related SpeakerEject guides
If the paired phone also got wet, use the wet-phone drying sequence before playing any tone; iPhone owners can also read the iPhone water eject guide, and wet AirPods need the wet AirPods drying steps instead. For a repeatable check after the manufacturer's steps, use the speaker test; for the difference between Apple's documented Watch tones and phone-frequency claims, read the evidence review.