Samsung Galaxy Watches, most especially Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Fit2, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Watch4 Classic, the Galaxy Watch Active series, Gear Fit2 Pro, and Gear Sport, all come with a Water Lock mode that helps to prevent accidental touches on your screen.
Even though the Korean phone manufacturer says most of its wrist-worn wearable devices can survive under five feet of water for up to 30 minutes it’s worth understanding the smartwatch’s resistance levels at liquid exposure.
The Galaxy Watch 4 and its Classic version are water resistant to 50 metres according to ISO standard 22810:2020, which Samsung describes as 5ATM of pressure. In terms of ingress protection, the Galaxy Watch 4 pair meets IP68 standards for dust and water resistance. However, some safety precautions must still be observed.
The reason for the Water Lock mode is to prevent inadvertent touches on your Samsung watch whether swimming or using it in the water. This is accomplished by locking your watch’s touch screen so that nothing can accidentally activate the screen until you disable the Water Lock mode.
For example, on the Galaxy Watch 4, the Water Lock feature can be found in Settings > Advanced features > Water lock.
Once it is enabled, the lift-to-wake gesture, which usually turns on the display when the person wearing the watch lifts their wrist, is deactivated. Moreover, the always-on display mode is also deactivated.
However, this feature does more than just lock out water. When disabled (by long-pressing the power button) a water eject mode is immediately activated. You hear a beeping sound through the built-in speaker to ensure that the vibrations drive any water trapped in the hole out. Apple smartwatches also does this.
Samsung also advise that you shake the Galaxy Watch 4 to remove any water left from the smartwatch’s surface and crevices.
The Water Lock is a useful feature, but there are a few precautions that users should take.
What Samsung Recommends while using the Water Lock mode
- Dry the Galaxy Watch 4 with a soft cloth after it has being exposed to water.
- Do not to use it when scuba diving or engaged in any activity that involves high-pressure, high-velocity water movement. High pressure can degrade ingress protection, and saltwater can cause chemical damage over time.
- The Galaxy Watch 4 and its Classic counterpart, according to Samsung, have “passed military specification (MIL-STD-810G) testing” and can withstand fall of up to 4.9 feet. However, such incidents can still have an effect on the wearable’s water resistance over time.
