Series 5 bug: thinks i'm swimming when i'm clearly not!

[nickdalzell1]

I've used and showered with my Series 5 watch before no problem. There's no damage or anything but lately if I'm out and sweating or if I have kept my watch on for an hour after I've showered (with water lock mode on) it makes a sound saying 'it looks like you're going for a swim!' and wants to record workout data. But the watch is dry or i'm just sweaty.

Didn't do this before, just started this week. No, I have not updated the OS since I bought the thing since I don't believe in updates (Apple, you angered me enough with iOS 7, never again!) so it's not an update related bug. The watch works fine otherwise just except it thinks i'm swimming when I am clearly NOT. I don't want to totally disable workouts since they are convenient when I'm walking outside or such, but unlike a Samsung watch, you can't ( as far as I can tell) selectively disable certain workouts and leave others enabled (such as turning off swimming or cycling detection but keeping walking or eliptical).

I can't find a thread about this issue, just random posts about how it detects outdoor walks. What's the criteria for swim detection and why is my watch notifying me when it's already dry for an hour?

 

[iamasmith]

It sounds like it was activated by a combination of sweat and something touching the screen, such as a jacket sleeve.

If I run with a jacket on I always have to turn on water lock before doing so otherwise I end up looking on the workout app like I've been doing a series of Triathlons

 

[TimothyL]

I think You can turn off auto detect workouts from the iPhone watch app. Maybe Under workout turn off running auto pause. I know mike is off but I don’t know if that’s why it’s doing that for you

 

[waw74]

have you tried giving it a wash?

How to clean your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Learn how to clean your Apple Watch and band.

support.apple.com

as others have said, there might be something on the screen.
even if it's dried sweat, it might be causing the watch to see touches across the screen making it think it's under water.
get your phones flashlight, hold it next to the side of the watch, and shine it across the screen, from all angles, that can help you see any damage, that might not normally be visible.

the "water lock" feature only really turns off the touch part of the screen. and then plays a sound to blow water out of the speaker when you turn if off.
I shower all the time with mine, and never turn that on. occasionally the water will "touch" something, once every 10 showers or so, I'll look down and it looks like the water has hit one of the complications, and entered that.

if you still have water lock on, and it sees high heart rate, it might assume you're swimming, as opposed to walking.
All of the "random outdoor walk warnings" is just people walking outside, with a heart rate over a certain threshold, for a certain amount of time.
It might just be basing it on high heart rate, lots of arm movement, and you telling it that it's underwater.

if it just started this week, are you sure auto updates is turned off?
is a little buried in the settings on the phone.
what version of software is the watch running?

 

[nickdalzell1]

I don't want to totally disable workout detection, Although I might have to in order to temporarily solve this issue.

I have noticed the heart rate LED is on if I take my watch off during this 'bug' and it normally isn't lit like that. Also, my 'normal' heart rate is always in the upper 90s-low 100s. That's normal for me (doctors in the past confirmed that). I also have a high metabolism. This has of course broken ECG feature on the Series 5 (says inconclusive 100%) and makes walking workout detection hit or miss.

Seems I've noticed a slight pattern though. I don't normally leave water lock mode on after I've showered and dried off. I have been leaving it on for hours after mostly forgetting it's on since I don't touch or use my watch in the evenings. Last night I turned it off right after my shower and no workout detection for swimming. Also, even though it disables 'touching' it still lights the screen up if water hits it or I touch it, and sometimes recommends disabling the mode if it assumes I'm attempting to use it when it's on. So it doesn't totally disable touching just the ability to open apps or such while it's on. I'll keep experimenting.

Yes, all auto install and downloads/updates are turned off in the Watch app and I've gone farther and blocked all of Apple's update servers at the router level so it's unable to check much less notify me of an update. Watch OS 6.1.1 is what it's running. It 'required' that update during first-time setup.