Skip to main content

Apple Watch waterproofness tested, unaffected by 15 minutes of submersion (Video)

Screen Shot 2015-04-24 at 13.21.31

Over in Australia, the team at FoneFox have already been putting the Apple Watch through its paces underwater. Apple claims an IPX7 water-resistance rating for its device, which means it can withstand 1 meter of submersion for 30 minutes. However, companies often conservatively state the limits of waterproofness for legal reasons.

The team at FoneFox found this very much to be the case here. The Apple Watch Sport was first subjected to a light shower and then a full shower (including soap) to simulate normal use in a shower. After the Watch was wiped down, the screen was fully responsive and everything was working fine. Tim Cook has previously said he showers with his Watch.

In fact, the Apple Watch survived much more than a shower. Watch the full video after the break.

The team left the Watch submerged in a bucket for five minutes. Again, there was no damage incurred to the Watch. Taking it one step further, the video then shows the Apple Watch being left underwater in a swimming pool for about fifteen minutes.

The screen didn’t respond to touch input whilst it was in the pool, which is not surprising given the capacitive screen technology, but afterwards there was no visible damage. In fact, the Digital Crown still works underwater so you can zoom in and out of apps whilst swimming along.

Obviously, Apple only rates the Watch at IPX7 for a reason: it is not recommended to take the Watch swimming on a regular basis. However, it is good to know that the Watch is much more water-resistant than the publicized rating suggests. iPhones and iPads are infinitely more susceptible to water damage than Apple’s wearable is as neither have sealed designs.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. kjl3000 - 9 years ago

    setting timer to 30 minutes …

  2. Anthony Moon Ciaramello - 9 years ago

    This is great and all but a little bothersome. These people are smashing their watches with a hammer tearing them apart and submerging them in water, and Im sitting over here with an early delivered charger cable and no watch…

    • cjt3007 - 9 years ago

      but, I’m sure you want to know how durable and water resistant is before you get yours…

  3. Josip Ricov (@Josip_R) - 9 years ago

    What about salt water?

    • freediverx - 9 years ago

      No. Don’t even think about it. Exposure to salt water will leave deposits that will damage the watch and its limited water resistance. If you accidentally get salt water on it, the most important hing to do is to rinse it with fresh water before it dries.

  4. freediverx - 9 years ago

    While it’s nice to see the Watch can sustain some limited exposure to water, I think stories like this oversimplify the topic of water resistance and may send the wrong message to users. This will encourage them to perform activities with their watch that may eventually result in water resistance failure.

    From the Apple Watch User Guide:

    “Try to minimize exposing Apple Watch to these substances and follow the instructions below in the “Cleaning and care” section if Apple Watch comes into contact with them: Soap, detergent, acids or acidic foods, and any liquids other than fresh water, such as salt water, soapy water, pool water, perfume, insect repellent, lotions, sunscreen, oil, adhesive remover, hair dye, or solvents.”

    “Submerging Apple Watch is not recommended.”

    “Water resistance is not a permanent condition and Apple Watch cannot be rechecked or resealed for water resistance.”

    “The following may affect the water resistance of Apple Watch and should be avoided: Dropping Apple Watch or subjecting it to other impacts. Submerging Apple Watch in water for long periods of time. Swimming or bathing with Apple Watch. Exposing Apple Watch to pressurized water or high velocity water, for example, showering, water skiing, wake boarding, surfing, jet skiing, and so on. Wearing Apple Watch in the sauna or steam room.”

    In short, this watch is designed to withstand light and infrequent exposure to water. Every time you expose it to the conditions listed above, you may be weakening its water resistance and increasing the chance that it will leak and fail in the future.

    • freediverx - 9 years ago

      Probably the two most important lines from my post above:

      “Water resistance is not a permanent condition and Apple Watch cannot be rechecked or resealed for water resistance.”

      “Submerging Apple Watch is not recommended.”

  5. Drew (@gettysburg11s) - 9 years ago

    This is good to know, that I can shower with it on, and it will be fine.

    As is the case with any waterproof case or waterproof device, don’t take it in the ocean. Waterproofing and salt water don’t mix too well.

    • freediverx - 9 years ago

      Salt water is fine on a device meant to be submerged, like a dive watch. The key is to rinse it thoroughly in fresh water afterwards. For the Apple Watch, definitely not.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 9 years ago

      just don’t get toothpaste on it…

      • Zac Hall - 9 years ago

        LOL

  6. Laughing_Boy48 - 9 years ago

    So I guess a little green Droid pissing on an AppleWatch won’t hurt it in any way. Take that, Eric Schmidt and your little green familiars.

  7. Twitboydk (@Twitboydk) - 9 years ago

    Thx for the review.
    Bye the way – Don´t worry if you can’t get it to stop working. It will stop all by itself in 18 hours :-D

  8. minieggseater - 9 years ago

    A “sport” watch you can’t interact with in the rain … useless

    • Soluble Apps - 9 years ago

      you can, just not underwater

    • freediverx - 9 years ago

      That’s a fact of life with capacitive touch screens. If you need a device that guarantees interaction while wet, you can forget about anything with a touch screen. I would wager that most people will spend a very small percentage of their time interacting with the Watch’s touchscreen in the middle of a downpour.

      • minieggseater - 9 years ago

        I spend a significant amount of time out doors in the UK and getting wet is just part of life. I use an aquapack for the phone and it works fine but obviously this is not an option for the watch, although I wonder if someone will make a screen protector for the watch using the same coating. I’ve now had time to watch the video and they wipe it with a towel after shower before using but the do seem to suggest that it worked straight out of the pool but you don’t see it raised from the water and used. There is an edit in the video

    • Martin Stær Andersen - 9 years ago

      In the video, they state “as soon as it comes out of the water it is fully responsive”, and it shows them using it straight out of the pool while wet. So I don’t think using it in the rain is a problem. Especially if all you want is the time, which doesn’t require any touch interaction.

      • minieggseater - 9 years ago

        see comment above …. BTW if I just want to tell the time I don’t need a £350 watch !!

      • freediverx - 9 years ago

        A lot of people own watches that cost well over £350 and do nothing but tell the time. :P

  9. mark83607 - 9 years ago

    I’d love to work for apple in there customer complaint department. Just to read all the bizarre emails there going to get about there broken watch.

  10. mytawalbeh - 9 years ago

    It is Great ! as waterproofing device, I think 30 or 15 minutes are more than enough for me, and no of course I won’t use it at the bottom of a pool anyway. Taking shower while wearing the watch in some cases helps for sure.
    However, knowing that it is waterproofing at this stages is a good thing makes you comfort at each time touch or get submerged accidentally.

  11. Max Auer - 9 years ago

    Great video! I have no pool, but I also did a test of the waterproofness of the Apple Watch Sport (in German language): https://youtu.be/rcMI3thuPd8

  12. Josip Ricov (@Josip_R) - 9 years ago

    Anyone got their watch in Alaska? Wondering how it’s going to do in low temperature?

  13. Jonathon Laing - 9 years ago

    Yeah, its unfortunate we didn’t have a deeper pool. We’d have loved to have seen how deep we could have taken the apple watch before it stopped working. After our test, I’d be pretty happy to wear it in the shower, but you never know ;) Glad you guys enjoyed the video.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.