What does water lock mean on Fitbit? questions like these and more will be answered in this article. Water resistance is one of the most important features of smart wearables. They provide essential protection for swimmers and for people like us who use these wearables even underwater. But it’s difficult to know the difference between “water resistance” and “waterproof.”
Fitbit doesn’t claim that their devices are waterproof but they say that their devices are water-resistant. It means they can still get damaged when they are underwater bodies or liquid soap in the shower.
Besides this, if Fitbit devices are contacted with water then they get unwanted screen taps, which could result in altering the device settings or can even affect your fitness data. Fortunately, Fitbit has the right solution for the issue known as “Water Lock.”
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Purpose of Water Lock on Fitbit
If your Fitbit tracker is in Water Lock mode, then it prevents the buttons and screen on the device from getting activated while you are in contact with water. Alarms, notifications, and other important tracking information will still display on your device, but you will have to unlock the screen to see them.
Also, you must know that only selected Fitbit models come with this excellent Water Lock feature. So if you are spending plenty of time in the water or you are a regular swimmer then you must own one of these Fitbit devices that provides a water lock feature
- Fitbit Charge 5
- Fitbit Versa 3
- Fitbit Ace 3
- Fitbit Inspire 2
- Fitbit Sense
If you own Versa 3 or Sense, then the Water Lock feature will be activated automatically while starting a swim in the Exercise app. For other models of Fitbit, you have to enable the feature yourself.
Water Lock doesn’t make your Fitbit immune to water damage, as water resistance decreases over time and can be negatively affected when the devices are exposed to soaps, shampoos, lotions, etc
How to Turn on/off Water Lock on Fitbit?
When you are sure that your Fitbit device is supporting the Water Lock feature, then follow these steps to activate it:
- First, you have to tap your Fitbit device screen to wake it up.
- Then swipe down from the main screen until the icon of the water lock displays.
For devices like Ace 3 and Inspire 2, you must press and hold the buttons on your tracker device until you see the option.
- Tap the icon of Water Lock, by slowly tapping twice on the display.
If the Lock icon is displayed, it means the feature is now active.
If you want to turn off Water Lock on your Fitbit, then just wake it up with a single tap. After doing this, slowly tap on the screen twice. If the “Unlocked” screen is not displayed, then tap the screen with a bit more force, as the feature is using an accelerometer in the device in order to detect taps.
If you still find difficulty in doing this then use a towel or microfiber cloth to wipe off any extra water droplets on your device.
What to do if you forget to enable Water Lock before your Fitbit got wet?
If you are using a Fitbit wearable device with some level of water resistance, it will work fine. But when the device is wet, take it off immediately and dry it properly with a cloth before using it again.
If your device has come in contact with any liquid other than water, then Fitbit suggests using a soap-free cleanser to clean the device nicely and a microfiber cloth for drying it entirely before using it again.
Is your Fitbit Waterproof?
Many Fitbit devices offer 50 meters of water resistance. They are engineered in a way to endure extreme conditions but these devices are still susceptible to liquid damage. These are all the wearables that are water-resistant in Fitbit
- Fitbit Versa 3 / 2 / Lite / Original
- Fitbit Charge 5 / 4 / 3
- Fitbit Ace 3 / 2
- Fitbit Ionic
- Fitbit Inspire 2 / HR / Original
- Fitbit Luxe
- Fitbit Sense
- Fitbit Flex 2
The original Ace device is not water-resistant. Fitbit rates it as “shower-proof,” which clearly means it can only survive spills or only splashes.
Can you take shower with Fitbit on?
If you have any of the water-resistant models listed above, then there is nothing to worry about, you can shower while wearing your Fitbit. But more exposure to soap, shampoo, and conditioner can diminish the device’s water resistance abilities. Additionally, accessory bands which are made of leather and woven materials are not very suitable for that and they can cause skin irritation when they are wet.
Even though Fitbit considers that it’s fine to shower with their devices on, but also they don’t suggest users from wearing them in a sauna or hot tub.
Conclusion
Finally, if you’re wondering whether your Fitbit gadget is waterproof or not, and how resistant it is to water, you’ve come to the perfect spot.
Although Fitbit the company itself has never claimed that its gadgets are waterproof, they are water resistant which means they can tolerate water to a certain level without causing much damage to the device.
One must remember that the water resistance decreases with time and it can also be done a little quicker if we use soaps, shampoos, lotion, and other washroom things.
The good news is that Fitbit offers a solution called “Water Lock” for this problem. When your Fitbit tracker is in Water Lock mode, it prevents the device’s buttons and screen from being engaged while in contact with water. Few models have these features so you need to check which are those models before you jump into the water.
Don’t be concerned if you don’t know how to turn on/off Water Lock on your Fitbit; it’s a simple process. Simply follow the directions in the text and you will have no problems using Fitbit. If you forget to engage Water Lock before your Fitbit gets wet, just remove it and dry it well with a cloth before reusing it.
Finally, if you have a water-resistant Fitbit model, you can wash it while wearing it, but don’t expose it to too much soap, shampoo, or conditioner. Remember that leather and woven material bands are not waterproof and might cause skin discomfort when wet.
To read more about Fitbit or other gadgets do visit our website digitswearables.com
