How to Childproof Your Apple Watch with This Simple Trick
Anyone who cares for young children knows how captivating a glowing screen can be for a baby or toddler. When that screen happens to be a touchscreen strapped to your wrist—like an Apple Watch—it becomes even more irresistible.
If your little one can’t resist tapping and swiping on your smartwatch, you might be concerned about accidental messages, altered settings, or other unintentional mishaps. Luckily, there’s a quick and easy trick to temporarily disable interactions, helping you avoid any surprises.
This simple method only takes a second to activate and can make your Apple Watch a little less appealing—at least until your child figures out how to undo it! Keep reading to learn how to safeguard your device from curious little fingers.
How to Enable Water Lock on Your Apple Watch
- Bring up the Control Center on your Apple Watch by pressing the Side button.
- Tap the Water Lock icon (it looks like a water droplet).
And that’s all there is to it! While the Water Lock feature is designed to prevent accidental touches while swimming, it also works as a handy way to keep curious little hands from tapping away on your Apple Watch. Once enabled, the screen stays unresponsive, making it a quick and effective solution for keeping your watch settings safe.
How to Disable Water Lock
When you’re ready to use your watch again, deactivating Water Lock is simple—if you know how.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown until you see an animation on the screen. This signals that the speaker is being cleared of any water.
- Keep turning the crown until you hear a beeping sound that gradually increases in pitch.
- Once complete, your Apple Watch will return to normal and respond to touch as usual.
If your little one has lost interest and dozed off, it’s a good idea to disable Water Lock in another room—since the sound it makes can be a bit loud!
Additional Tips to Childproof Your Apple Watch
While the Water Lock trick is great for quick protection, there are a few additional steps you can take to make your smartwatch more childproof:
- Enable a Passcode – Setting a passcode ensures that even if your child manages to interact with the watch, they won’t be able to access any apps or settings. You can enable this in the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Use Theater Mode – This mode not only silences notifications but also keeps the screen from lighting up when moved, making it less tempting for kids to play with.
- Adjust Notifications – If your child frequently taps on your wrist, consider muting notifications temporarily to prevent accidental responses to messages or calls.
- Remove Unnecessary Apps from the Watch Face – If your child tends to play with certain apps, you can customize your watch face to remove quick access to them.
Final Thoughts
Your Apple Watch is a powerful and convenient device, but its interactive touchscreen can sometimes be too tempting for little ones. By using the Water Lock feature and implementing a few extra precautions, you can keep your smartwatch safe from accidental taps and swipes.
The next time your toddler gets fixated on your Apple Watch, just activate Water Lock and enjoy peace of mind, knowing that your device—and your notifications—are secure!
