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Handwashing detection on Series 5

danielvanc

danielvanc

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
25
2
Isle of Wight, U.K
Installed GM of WatchOS7 today and have to say, the hand washing detection is very hit and miss. 4 washes and it's detected 2 washes and 5 seconds each. Most of the time not detecting until I've nearly finished washing. Guessing this feature will be much more accurate on the series 6 then?

PS: Yes I am washing my hands correctly :p
 
Interesting to hear your experience. I've had the WatchOS7 public beta on my Series 4 since launch and the hand washing detection has been near flawless in a range of environments. The only time I remember it not working was at my parents using a traditional cold tap (e.g. where there was a separate tap for hot and cold as opposed to a mixer tap). Assume that the acoustics of that were quite different, and the watch didn't recognised it as running water.
 
I’ve noticed it picks up much more consistently if you wash your hands with the water running. Being from CA (any maybe other areas do this too?) we were always taught to turn off the water while you scrub to conserve. The initial and ending rinse sound doesn’t seem enough to consistently trigger hand washing countdown until the “done” tap.
 
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Interesting to read both your replies, thanks. Our taps are separate cold and hot and I leave the hot tap running.

When it pops up with the timer, it tends to just show '14' and then doesn't change. Stays on the screen briefly and then disappears.

Haven't been on the beta for WatchOS until today (to jump ahead of the queue before final public release later :p )
 
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Is it possible to uninstall the app? Or do you just have to stop all notifications? It would drive me mad, it’s pathetic timing your hand washing, almost as stupid as wearing a mask when you’re fit and well and not in a toxic environment.
 
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I think by the time the timer starts it's after a few seconds,
Lyn2012 said:
Is it possible to uninstall the app? Or do you just have to stop all notifications? It would drive me mad, it’s pathetic timing your hand washing, almost as stupid as wearing a mask when you’re fit and well and not in a toxic environment.
Click to expand...

It’s not an app. It lives in settings. You can just switch it off.
 
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I also noticed if you are more bent down so your hands are in the basin it detects it better than if you are washing with your back straight... So maybe it detects your hands going in a certain direction. Could just be a coincidence though. Seems to detect specific sounds and movements associated with washing.
 
Further update. It does very much seem to depend on the movement of your hands. Whether this is just specific to pre series 6 watches, I don't know. Maybe series 6 will have better detection/motion technology?

Rolling hands around in kind of circle motions (best way I can explain it), on my S5, more accurately sets off the timer AND keeps the timer going. I'm hoping this will be improved as it's not how I would naturally wash my hands and not sure I should change just for the purpose of the detection.
 
I've also had it very hit and miss. Pops up occasionally at 14 or 16, and then counts one or two, but not necessarily seconds, before poping up the message. That's if it starts.

I'd thought it was getting confused by other sounds like bathroom fan,or kitchen homepod
 
emoe76 said:
I am also having issues getting the hand washing feature to work on my Series 5. If anything changes, I’ll update.
Click to expand...

I was able to get it to work for me. Basically I had to move my hands in a circular motion in a downward angle with the faucet running to activate the sensor.
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MarkC426 said:
Seriously.....if you don’t know how to wash your hands without a watch to help you.....🤪
Click to expand...

Oh I know😀...but it’s like a new toy. Just have to see how it works! Haha
 
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Hit or miss on my AW5 too. Upgrading to 6, so maybe will be better. I thought it was a cool feature. 20 seconds seems like a long time! :)
 
danielvanc said:
Further update. It does very much seem to depend on the movement of your hands. Whether this is just specific to pre series 6 watches, I don't know. Maybe series 6 will have better detection/motion technology?

Rolling hands around in kind of circle motions (best way I can explain it), on my S5, more accurately sets off the timer AND keeps the timer going. I'm hoping this will be improved as it's not how I would naturally wash my hands and not sure I should change just for the purpose of the detection.
Click to expand...

Watched my hands 2 times this morning. The first one it detected immediately. The second it detected 9 seconds on.
 
Sometimes it feels like a watched pot never boiling. If I keep checking the seconds it pauses and won’t tick down, but if I don’t look and keep scrubbing it will buzz after 20secs. 🤷🏻‍♀️
 
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Looks like there's an 'improved hand washing' detection feature in 14.2. Maybe it'll improve then? Turning it on also sends back data to apple so they can improve it.
 
just today locking the door turning the key (one hand). this thing beeps and bubbles timer appears. not raining, no running water around wtf :) when I actually wash my hands it doesnt react at all like half the times. gonna disable it. seems like one of those good idea bad implementation things. feels like Apple gave it to some intern to implement as home assignment during covid lockdown.
 
I've got the Series 6 and the detection is anything but accurate. You have to make strong and sudden movements for the Watch to detect it. It's horse***t.
 
I can’t get it to work yet. I enabled it on the iPhone and checked the settings on the watch. It just want detect the running water and washing movement yet.
 
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