Welcome to Ask Jerry, where we talk about any and all the questions you might have about the smart things in your life. I'm Jerry, and I have spent the better part of my life working with tech. I have a background in engineering and R&D and have been covering Android and Google for the past 15 years.
Ask Jerry is a column where we answer your burning Android/tech questions with the help of long-time Android Central editor Jerry Hildenbrand.
I'm also really good at researching data about everything — that's a big part of our job here at Android Central — and I love to help people (another big part of our job!). If you have questions about your tech, I'd love to talk about them.
Email me at askjerryac@gmail.com, and I'll try to get things sorted out. You can remain anonymous if you like, and we promise we're not sharing anything we don't cover here.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Can I swim laps with the Pixel Watch 2?
Leo asks:
I've read from Google that you can use the watch for swimming. The watch has a mode for fitness tracking while swimming, and it will detect a swimming workout automatically. But then the Google advice gets weird. They tell you to always keep the watch free from moisture.
I believe the warranty doesn't cover water intrusion damage from swimming. Basically, I'm under the impression that you can swim with the watch as much as you like, as long as you don't get it wet.
I know the watch isn't waterproof, but will I be sorry if I just go swim a few laps with it? I would like to add and track my swim laps to the fitness tracking capabilities of the watch. So, I'm curious as to your thoughts!
Hi Leo! I have to admit, I was almost certain there had to be some confusion at play here and there was no way Google was giving such conflicted information. I was wrong and have been down the rabbit hole of the Pixel Watch 2 and its water resistance.
The short answer: Google does advise that you minimize exposure to moisture to maintain the "integrity" of the Pixel Watch 2, but I've found plenty of people using it to track swimming activities in both fresh and saltwater without any negative effect.
I think Google is just trying to cover all the bases with the confusing language surrounding this all.
The weird, conflicting language originates from the Google Store itself and you can read all about using the Pixel Watch 2 water resistance here. The two paragraphs that seem to have confused Google's AI search snippets and plenty of people wondering about an expensive watch's suitability to track swimming are:
"Caught in the rain? Sweaty during your intense spin workout? Or wearing your smartwatch for swimming laps? The water resistance of Pixel Watch 2 makes it a trusty smartwatch choice for these everyday occasions."
"Keep in mind that, like all waterproof and water-resistant tech devices, it's crucial to minimize exposure to moisture to maintain Pixel Watch 2’s integrity. While you can wear your Pixel Watch 2 for swimming or during your water aerobics class, removing it whenever possible is best to avoid unnecessary moisture exposure."
The Pixel Watch 2 is water resistant up to 5 ATM (atmospheres) which is 50 meters for people who use normal measuring units. That means the gaskets, coatings, and ingress spots on the watch have been designed to keep moisture out to that much pressure. That doesn't mean it can't happen; it only means it shouldn't.
It's also important to mention that you should never expose the Pixel Watch 2, or any water-resistant device, to soapy water. Soap changes the properties of most liquids and can negatively affect water resistance. The same goes for distilled water — never use it on a water-resistant device or soak one in it.
Google recommends you remove your Pixel Watch 2 and clean it after working out, sweating, or washing your hands using fresh water and a soap-free cleanser to clean the band. Allow it to dry before putting it back on. I doubt anyone is following this advice, but it is what Google recommends, so if you don't follow it, your warranty could be affected.
Google also says warranty claims for any damage are each individually considered so there is no blanket condition that water damage is not covered under warranty. It also means they can deny a warranty claim, so you'll need to contact customer care for a resolution.
Google advertises the Pixel Watch 2 as a way to track your laps while swimming and includes software for it. While looking into all this, I came across the Swim.com app as highly recommended versus Google's built-in solution, so I'm tossing that out there, too.
In the end, I can only say what I would do because Google wants to have it both ways.
I'd use it to track my swimming and not worry about it. If the watch is damaged doing the things it is advertised as able to do, I'd expect Google to honor the factory warranty without a problem. I think Google's advice to not use the watch in the water (and we see similar language from all smartwatch makers) is there so nobody can claim they thought the watch was waterproof and didn't bother to read about the feature.
It sounds like a lot of folks agree with me and use the Pixel Watch 2 and the original Pixel Watch to track swimming workouts and have no issues. I honestly expect to hear the same about the Pixel Watch 3 a year from now.
Buying a Pixel Watch 2 when the Pixel Watch 3 has been released can be a great way to save a little money. It seems like it will be fine to track your swimming sessions, especially with a little better software to track it all installed so good luck!
A solid follow-up
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is a solid follow-up to the Google Pixel Watch with more advanced sensors, better Google app and feature integration, more Fitbit features, safety tracking, voice control, and more. It is water-resistant, like many other smartwatches in its class. But it isn’t fully waterproof.
