Yes, you can swim with a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. Samsung Watch 4 has a water resistance rating of 5 ATM. It implies that the watch can take a depth pressure of 5 atmospheres. A pressure of 5 atmospheres is available at a depth of 50 meters of 164 feet below water surface level. Having said that, there are a few considerations that you ought to be aware of before taking a Samsung Watch 4 for a swimming session.
What is ATM 5 and IP68 rating for Samsung Watch 4?
Samsung Watch 4 has a water rating of 5 ATM. 5 ATM rating certifies that the watch can handle a depth pressure of 5 atmospheres. A pressure of 5 atmospheres is equivalent to the pressure at a depth of 50 meters or 165 feet below the water surface level. Most smartwatches that are swimming ready have a 5 ATM water rating.
IP68 is an ingress-protection rating. An IP68 rating of Samsung Watch 4 certifies that it is dust resistant. At the same time, the smartwatch is adequately protected for any foreign particles from making an entry into the watch body.
So, a 5 ATM rating implies that you can wear a Samsung Watch 4 while swimming in a pool. You can wear it while swimming in open water as well. The catch, however, is the time spent in the pool while swimming. Samsung advises that you should not wear the watch for extended swimming sessions. Most people are of the opinion that anything over 30 minutes of swimming may not be a desirable option for a smartwatch. If you intend to wear the Samsung Watch 4 for more than 30 minutes of swimming activity, you may be better off leaving it outside the pool. You may, however, have read stories online where people have successfully worn the Samsung Watch 4 for more than an hour of swimming activity. It is a matter of personal choice, actually. The general consensus is to leave the watch while engaged in extended swimming sessions.
Apart from the water rating of Samsung Watch 4, Samsung has listed best practices for handling a Samsung Watch 4.
- Wipe the Samsung Watch 4 after ending swimming session. Clean it with a piece of cloth.
- If you swam in sea water, rinse the watch in clean water. Then wipe the screen and clean it with tissue or cloth to remove any corrosive material from the screen.
- Do not wear the Samsung Watch 4 while scuba diving or any deep water sports activities.
- Avoid the exposure to Samsung Watch 4 to high pressure water flows.
You can check out the detailed instructions on Samsung’s website.
Water Lock on Samsung Watch 4
Water lock on the watch enables screen protection against water damage. One can enable the water lock on a smartwatch before starting swimming activity. Samsung Watch 4 does have a water lock. Water lock on Samsung Watch 4 protects the watch against:
- accidental touches on your screen while swimming.
- prevent Samsung Watch 4 from being accidentally activated with a wake-up gesture while you’re swimming.
You can turn on the water lock on Samsung Watch 4 through one of the following ways:
- Galaxy app – You can turn on water lock mode through the smartphone’s Galaxy wearable app. To activate the water lock through Galaxy app, you can open the Galaxy Wearable app, and then tap Advanced. Tap Water lock, and then tap Turn on.
- Quick Settings – You can also turn on the water lock from Quick Settings on the Samsung Watch 4. From your Samsung Watch 4 swipe down to open the Quick settings panel, and then tap the Water lock mode icon. It looks like two droplets of water. You can turn off the water lock mode by long pressing the Home key on Samsung Watch 4
- Settings – You can turn on the water lock mode through settings menu on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. From your watch’s Home screen, open Settings and tap Advanced features. Tap ‘Water Lock’ and toggle the water lock to ‘ON’ state.
Water lock must be used for protection of Samsung Watch 4 while swimming.
Samsung Watch 4 for swimming in sea water
Samsung Watch 4 can be used for swimming in sea water. Once the swimming activity ends, you should rinse the watch in clean water. Once done, clean the watch and wipe it dry using a piece of cloth.
Sea water may leave particles on the watch screen. To protect the screen against any potential damage, cleaning the watch in clear water and wiping it dry is a recommended practice.
Summary
Samsung Watch 4 is suitable for swimming. You can wear it while swimming in the pool or in open sea water swimming. Samsung has shared a list of recommended practices for protecting the Samsung Watch 4 against accidental damage from water.
You may like to read more about Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 below:
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 to launch soon
- Fitbit Sense Vs Samsung Watch 4
- Does Samsung Watch 4 ECG work with all Android phones?
- Does Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 have music?
Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].