Apple Watch Mic Not Working? After Swim?

So I just ran into the bug Apple Watch mic not working, and I’m not at all happy.  One of the biggest reasons I purchased my Apple Watch Series 4 (or for others, any Series 2 and above) is its water-resistant design.

Living close to the water means that I want to swim with my watch on and record all my aquatic workouts from laps, open water swimming and to even a bit of surfing using its swim workout tracking. And I love, love, love that with watchOS it actually shows you a breakdown of each stroke style–so cool!

And it now detects when you’re resting so now more manually pausing your swim workouts–awesome! Apple watches even calculate your swim’s splits and sets.

But a few days ago, after getting out of the pool from my Tuesday swim, when I tried to use Siri, there was no voice recognition. And I realized my Apple Watch’s microphone stopped working. Oh no!

Immediately, I swiped up on the bottom of the watch face, opened Control Center, and tapped Water Lock to clear out water manually.  No luck.

So, in desperation, I charged it overnight, letting it dry. And hoped against hope that this microphone issue was just a temporary glitch in an otherwise glorious watch.

But no go.  The next morning, my Apple Watch mic still wasn’t working. So I tried to dry the darn thing with a cloth and still nothing.  Oh, what’s a girl to do?

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Is Your Apple Watch Mic Not Working After a Swim, Splash, or Workout?

Okay, so I quickly learn that I am not alone.

Quite a few iFolk out there experience this exact same issue.

For some, their Apple Watch microphones stop working after a long day in and out of the water.  But others report that just splashing around in water no deeper than their waist cause the mic to malfunction.  Most have similar symptoms–no Siri.

Other readers experience their microphones suddenly not working after very sweaty workouts (Hot Yoga) or simply rinsing their hands after working out.  So what gives?

This thing is supposed to be water resistant!

Promises, Promises

When Apple introduced Apple Watch Series 2, the biggest highlight was how flawlessly it worked in water, tracking all our swim workouts with its sophisticated accelerometer.

Take note that Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch (1st generation) aren’t suitable for swimming at all, so if you use an early model Apple Watch–just don’t!

The Watch Series 2+ is supposed to resistant to water up to 50 meters deep–in fresh or salt water (water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010.)

A multitude of gaskets and waterproof adhesives give the watch this Water Lock.

The Fine Print

Looking closely at the fine print, Apple actually veers away from the 50-meter claim.

Instead, they clarify that the both Apple Watch Series 2+

“Apple Watch Series 2, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple Watch Series 4 may be used for shallow water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, Apple Watch Series 2, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple Watch Series 4 shouldn’t be used for scuba diving, water skiing, or other activities involving high velocity water or submersion below shallow depth. “

Even with this additional disclaimer, the activities I do and most others reporting problems are in shallow depths.

Apple Watch mic not working?  Some Tips

The very first thing to try is to use the Digital Crown to unlock and eject water via haptics and vibrations to expel any remaining water.

This is meant for removing water from the speaker but what the heck, it’s worth a try.

A Cautionary Tale

Tough tempting, do not insert anything into your Apple Watch’s microphone port or shake your watch to remove any remaining water!

Apple also warns us that compressed air, ultrasonic cleaning, and external heat sources potentially cause damage and shouldn’t be used with your Apple Watch.

Remove Water From Apple Watch Speaker

1. Just after your swim or workout
   1. Turn the Digital Crown to unlock the screen and clear any water from your Apple Watch
      1. You hear sounds and feel vibrations–this is normal
      2. Some water might eject onto your wrist or elsewhere
2. Anytime
   1. Manually clear water from Apple Watch
      1. Swipe up on the bottom of the watch face to open Control Center
         1. Tap Water Lock
         2. Turn the Digital Crown to unlock the screen and clear water from the speaker
3. Some folks say that performing the water ejection multiple times (like 20X or more) eventually cleared all the water from their mics and everything worked like normal again. But hey, I don’t want to have to do this after each and every swim!

Go Old School With A Towel and Down Time

• Some swimmers swear by their towels! Just squeeze your Watch gently with your towel a few times and then keep it off your wrist to dry out for about an hour
• Don’t leave your watch drying in the sun! That’s a no-no. Keep it shaded–a nice and gentle breeze is even better

Adjust Some Watch Settings

• Reset Apple Watch settings
  • On Apple Watch, open the Settings app from the Home screen
    • Go to General > Reset
    • Tap Erase All Content and Settings

After this reset finishes and Apple Watch restarts, you need to pair Apple Watch with iPhone again—open the Apple Watch app on iPhone. And follow the instructions shown on iPhone and Apple Watch.

Adjust Siri’s Settings

1. Settings > General > Keyboard
   1. Check that Enable Dictation is turned on
2. Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps or for older iOS, Settings > General > Restrictions
   1. Verify that Siri & Dictation is allowed and there is no restriction for Siri & Dictation
3. Settings > Siri & Search or for older iOS, Settings > General > Siri
   1. Disable Siri
   2. Wait for 20-30 seconds
   3. Re-enable Siri
   4. Restart

When something isn’t working right, Apple always suggests a restart of the offending device.

So try restarting Your Apple Watch and its paired iPhone

1. Restart Apple Watch
   1. Turn off Apple Watch by pressing and holding the side button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider to the right
   2. Turn Apple Watch back on by holding down the side button until the Apple logo appears
2. Restart the paired iPhone
   1. On an iPhones X or later: press and hold the Side/Top/Power button and either volume button until the slider appears
   2. On an iPhone with a Home Button: press and hold the Side/Top/Power button until the slider appears
   3. Drag the slider to turn the device off and after the device turns off, press and hold that Side/Top/Power button again until you see the Apple Logo
   4. With iOS 11 and above, restart using Settings > General > Shut Down

If you can’t turn off Apple Watch or if the problem continues, try a forced restart. 

Force Apple Watch to restart

1.  Hold down the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time for at least ten seconds until the Apple logo appears

Digital Crown Stuck or Not Moving?

If your Watch’s digital crown isn’t moving and consequently you are unable to clear any water from the speaker (and maybe elsewhere), try the following.

Fix Stuck Digital Crown

1. Hold the Digital Crown under lightly running, warm, fresh water from a faucet for 10 to 15 seconds
   1. No soaps and other cleaning products
2. Turn and press the Digital Crown continuously as water runs over the small gap between the crown and the housing
3. Dry your Apple Watch with a non-abrasive, lint-free cleaning cloth

Water Resistance Fades Over Time!

Apple also warns that for all Watch Series that its water resistance can diminish over time.

And unfortunately, there is no way to check before a problem occurs.

To keep your Apple Watch in tip-top shape, make sure you avoid anything that inhibits its water resistance.

These may affect the water resistance of your Apple Watch. Try to avoid these

• Dropping Apple Watch and similar
• Exposing Apple Watch to soap or soapy water, even when showering, bathing, or washing your hands or dishes
• Using perfume, solvents, detergent, acids or acidic foods, insect repellent, lotions, sunscreen, oil, or hair dye in the area of your Apple Watch
• High-velocity watersports, like water skiing–take off your Watch before engaging in these type of activities
• Wearing your Apple Watch in saunas, steam rooms, and similar hot or humid environments

Final Destination–Apple Support

If nothing worked, it’s time to visit an Apple Store or call Apple Support.  Hopefully, you purchased Apple Care, or your Watch is under warranty.  Apple is replacing watches that demonstrate this problem and are under warranty.

If your Watch is out of coverage, one reader did have success using can air.  However, Apple advises us NOT to use compressed air to clean any Apple Watch.

So perform this at your own discretion and peril!

This particular iFolk took a can of compressed air and shot it very gently into the openings on the side of his Apple Watch.

He noticed that it cleared debris from the openings. And indeed his microphone started working again. Again, this is NOT RECOMMENDED by Apple.

Wrap Up

My story ends at my neighborhood Apple Store and an appointment with a local Genius. Given that I live in Southern California, I wasn’t the first person to walk in with this particular problem.

Though not common, it’s also not rare especially for avid swimmers, surfers, and diving girls and guys.

So if your issue persists, I suggest that you contact Apple Support to run diagnostics or visit with your local Apple Store’s Genius Bar. That’s what they are there for.

Boy am I glad I purchased Apple Care!

A replacement is on the way, in a matter of days.  Given that this water resistance is new tech, I opted for Apple Care since I realized that my weekly swims might just cause problems.

Hopefully, you solved your problems with the tips above, if not visit or schedule a call with Apple Support.  My understanding is that even if you are out of warranty, Apple might just hook you up or offer a discount on a replacement.