What Do the Icons at the Top of Apple Watch Mean? (Water Drop, Red Dot, and More)

The blue water drop at the top of your Apple Watch screen means Water Lock is on, so the screen won’t respond to taps. To turn it off, press and hold the Digital Crown until the watch says Unlocked. Other common icons: a red dot means you have an unread notification, a red lightning bolt means the battery is low, a purple moon means Do Not Disturb is on, and a red iPhone with a line through it means the watch has lost its connection to your iPhone.

Below is the full list of status icons with what each one means, based on Apple’s Apple Watch User Guide and its support articles on status icons and symbols and Water Lock.

What the Water Drop Icon Means

The water drop means Water Lock is on. While it’s on, the screen ignores taps and wrist-flick gestures, so water can’t trigger anything by accident. Your watch turns Water Lock on automatically when you start a water workout such as swimming or surfing, and when you begin a dive on Apple Watch Ultra. You can also turn it on yourself: press the side button to open Control Center, then tap the Water Lock button.

How to turn off Water Lock

1. Press and hold the Digital Crown.
2. Keep holding until the display says Unlocked.
3. Let go. The watch plays tones to push leftover water out of the speaker.

Result: The water drop disappears and the screen responds to taps again. On watchOS 8 or earlier, you turn the Digital Crown instead of pressing it.

Apple Watch Status Icons and What They Mean

Icon	What it means
Red dot	You have an unread notification. Swipe down on the watch face to read it.
Green lightning bolt	Apple Watch is charging.
Red lightning bolt	The battery is low.
Yellow circle	Low Power Mode is on.
Blue padlock	The watch is locked. Tap to enter your passcode.
Water drop	Water Lock is on. Press and hold the Digital Crown to unlock.
Purple crescent moon	Do Not Disturb is on. Calls and alerts won’t sound or light up the screen, but alarms still work.
Person	Personal Focus is on.
ID badge	Work Focus is on.
Bed	Sleep Focus (Sleep mode) is on. Press and hold the Digital Crown to exit.
Airplane	Airplane Mode is on. Wireless is off, but non-wireless features still work.
Theater masks	Theater Mode is on. The watch is silenced and the screen stays dark when you raise your wrist.
Running figure	A workout is in progress.
Red X	A cellular Apple Watch has lost its cellular connection.
Red iPhone with a line through it	The watch has lost its connection to your iPhone.
Green iPhone	The watch is connected to your iPhone.
Arrow	An app is using, or recently used, Location Services. Tap it to see which app.
Wi-Fi symbol	The watch is connected to a known Wi-Fi network.
Spinning dots	There’s wireless activity or another process running.
Orange microphone	The microphone is on, for example while you talk to Siri or record a voice memo.
Green bars	A cellular Apple Watch is connected to a cellular network. More bars mean a stronger signal.

If you set up another Focus on your iPhone, its icon shows up at the top of the watch while that Focus is active.

Icons for Apps That Are Running

Some active apps also put a small icon at the top of the watch face, and you can usually tap it to jump back into the app:

• Workout: a workout is active. If the icon stays after you end the workout, restart your watch.
• Audio: you’re listening to audio on the watch. Tap to open the app that’s playing.
• Compass: Backtrack is running.

Apple notes that with watchOS 27, the Walkie-Talkie app is no longer available on Apple Watch, so you won’t see its icon on updated watches.

See More Status Details in Control Center

Press the side button to open Control Center. The icons at the top show your connection to iPhone, Wi-Fi or cellular status, apps using your location, and features such as Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb. Tap an icon to see more details. Control Center is also where you turn Theater Mode and Water Lock on or off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Water Lock turn on by itself?

It turns on automatically when you start a water workout, like a pool swim, and when you start a dive on Apple Watch Ultra.

How do I get rid of the red dot?

Swipe down on the watch face and read or clear your notifications. The red dot goes away once there are no unread notifications.

Why is my watch screen dark when I raise my wrist?

Check for the theater masks icon. Theater Mode keeps the screen dark until you tap it, press a button or turn the Digital Crown. Turn it off in Control Center. If the screen is just dim, see how to make your Apple Watch screen brighter.

What does the padlock mean?

The watch is locked. Tap the screen and enter your passcode. To change how locking works, see how to turn off the passcode on an Apple Watch.

Washing your hands with the watch on? Learn how to use the Apple Watch handwashing timer.