October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run ScanOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
WatchRanker
Search
For vendors
Apple Watch

How to Use the Depth App on Apple Watch Ultra

Apple Watch Ultra’s Depth app records underwater time, depth and temperature. Here’s how to set it up, use it, find results, and understand its scuba limits.

By WatchRanker Team 6 min read
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The Depth app measures underwater time, current and maximum depth, and water temperature. It is useful for snorkeling, underwater swimming, and shallow free-diving, but it is not a scuba dive computer: it does not calculate decompression stops or manage breathing gas. Apple limits the built-in app to 40 meters (130 feet) on Apple Watch Ultra models. For scuba diving, use the instruments and procedures your training requires; do not rely on Depth as your only safety instrument.

What the Depth app does—and which watches support it

Depth is Apple’s built-in underwater monitor. It can show and record elapsed underwater time, current depth, maximum depth, and water temperature. Typical uses include snorkeling, underwater pool swimming, and shallow free-diving. The word “dive” in the watch’s interface does not mean that the built-in app provides the functions of a complete scuba computer.

All Apple Watch Ultra models support Depth to a maximum operating depth of 40 meters (130 feet). Apple Watch Series 10 and Series 11 also support underwater depth tracking, but their stated maximum is 6 meters (20 feet). Apple says Apple Watch Ultra 3 can support recreational scuba diving to 40 meters when used with a compatible third-party dive-computer app; that is distinct from what the built-in Depth app does. See Apple’s Depth app guidance and Apple Watch Ultra 3 information.

Check the watch and plan before getting in the water

  • Do not deliberately submerge a watch with a cracked screen, damaged case, or suspected seal problem. Apple says water resistance can diminish over time; it is not permanent.
  • Know the app’s limits and the planned activity’s depth. A water-resistance rating does not raise the Depth app’s 40-meter limit.
  • For scuba diving, be trained and certified for the planned dive, follow your training and dive procedures, and dive with a buddy. Apple advises trained divers to carry a secondary depth gauge and timer or watch and not to rely on the Depth app where failure could cause serious injury or death.
  • If you are concerned about the sensors or seals on an Apple Watch Ultra, Apple offers a Depth and Water Seal Test. A test is not a guarantee that the watch will remain suitable for every future dive.

Apple says the depth sensor is accurate to approximately ±1 meter. Treat that as a sensor specification, not a reason to omit a suitable backup instrument when readings matter for safety.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Apple Watch Ultra [GPS + Cellular 49mm] Titanium Case with Midnight Ocean Band, One Size (Renewed)
  • WHY APPLE WATCH ULTRA - Rugged and capable, built to meet the demands of endurance athletes, outdoor adventurers, and water sports enthusiasts - with a specialized band for each. Up to 36 hours of battery life, plus all the Apple Watch features that help you stay healthy, safe, and connected.
  • EXTREMELY RUGGED, INCREDIBLY CAPABLE - 49mm corrosion-resistant titanium case. Larger Digital Crown and more accessible buttons. 100m water resistance. Customizable Action button for instant physical control over a variety of functions.
  • BIGGEST, BRIGHTEST DISPLAY YET- A bright Always-On Retina display that’s easy to see, even in direct sunlight. More room for adding complications to customize your watch face.
  • FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES - Advanced metrics in the Workout app, including Heart Rate Zones and Running Form. Precision dual-frequency GPS for accuracy, distance, route, and pace calculations. Trail Loop band is thin, light, and flexible, designed especially for runners.
  • FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURERS - Redesigned Compass app delivers all-new views and functionality. Mark your location with Compass Waypoints. Backtrack uses GPS to map where you’ve been so you can retrace your steps. Alpine Loop band is extremely rugged and secure to meet the needs of hikers and climbers.

Set automatic launch for submersion

On the watch, open Settings → General → Auto-Launch → When Submerged. You can also find automatic-submersion settings in the paired iPhone’s Watch app under My Watch → General → Auto-Launch. Labels can vary slightly by watchOS version or language; look for Auto-Launch and When Submerged.

  • Off: The watch stays on the watch face; open Depth yourself when you want to start.
  • Selected App: An underwater-capable app you selected opens automatically.
  • Remain on Watch Face: The watch face stays visible while supported complications continue updating. This does not open the full Depth app screen.

Automatic tracking normally begins when the watch is more than about 1 meter underwater and remains submerged for several seconds. Apple’s current user guide specifies more than five seconds. A quick splash or brief dip may therefore not start a session. See Apple’s current automatic-tracking guidance.

Choose depth and temperature units

Before entering the water, open Settings → Depth on the watch. Choose Feet or Meters for depth and Fahrenheit or Celsius for temperature. Set units in advance: the touchscreen is locked during a Depth session.

Assign the Action button to a dive app

On Apple Watch Ultra, open Settings → Action Button → Action → Dive, then choose the Depth app or an installed compatible third-party diving app. Assigning the button to the Dive action and selecting which app it opens are separate choices. Available options depend on watchOS and installed apps. Apple documents the current controls in its watchOS guide.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #2
Apple Watch Ultra 2 [GPS + Cellular, 49mm] - Titanium Case With White Ocean Band, One Size (Renewed)
  • WHY APPLE WATCH ULTRA 2 — Rugged, capable, and built to meet the demands of endurance athletes, outdoor adventurers, and water sport enthusiasts — with a specialized band for each. The S9 SiP enables a superbright display and a magical new way to quickly and easily interact with your Apple Watch without touching the display. Up to 36 hours of battery life and 72 hours in Low Power Mode.
  • CARBON NEUTRAL — Apple Watch Ultra 2 paired with the latest Alpine Loop or Trail Loop is carbon neutral. Learn more about Apple’s commitment to the environment at apple.com/2030.
  • EXTREMELY RUGGED, INCREDIBLY CAPABLE — 49mm corrosion-resistant titanium case. Large Digital Crown and Customizable Action button for instant control over a variety of functions. 100m water resistance.
  • BIGGEST, BRIGHTEST DISPLAY YET — Apple’s brightest Always-On Retina display is easy to see, even in direct sunlight. More room for adding complications to customize your watch face and enough space to view six metrics at once.
  • THE FREEDOM OF CELLULAR — Cellular is built in. You can call and text without your iPhone, even overseas with international roaming. Stream your favorite music and podcasts. Get directions with Maps.

Start a Depth session

Start automatically

Choose Selected App under When Submerged and select the app you want to open. With the built-in Depth app selected, it normally starts tracking after the watch has been more than about 1 meter underwater for more than five seconds.

Start manually

  1. Open the Depth app on the watch before entering the water.
  2. Enter the water; the app monitors the session.

If you assigned the Action button to Dive, you can use it to launch the selected underwater app instead. Check which app is selected before relying on the shortcut.

Record an exercise workout as well

Depth tracking is not the same as starting an exercise workout. If you want workout data, open the Workout app and start the appropriate workout, such as an open-water swim, before submerging the watch.

Read the underwater display

When Depth opens, Water Lock activates. The touchscreen will not respond to ordinary taps; this is intentional, not a fault. In Apple’s built-in Depth app, the Digital Crown is not an ordinary underwater control. Some third-party dive apps may offer their own underwater controls, including the Crown or Action button.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
Sale
Apple Watch Ultra 3 [GPS + Cellular 49mm] Running & Multisport Smartwatch w/Rugged Titanium Case w/Black Titanium Milanese Loop - L. Satellite Communications, Advanced Health & Fitness Tracking
  • RUGGED AND READY TO GO—The ultimate sports and adventure smartwatch is built to last with an extremely tough titanium case and a strong sapphire crystal display. Water resistant up to 100m—it’s great for swimmers, divers, and fans of high-speed water sports.*
  • A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Ultra 3 can take an ECG* and check your heart rhythm for signs of AFib—right from your wrist. The smartwatch sends alerts for possible hypertension,* an irregular heart rhythm,* or an unusually high or low heart rate. You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and take readings of your blood oxygen.*
  • ULTIMATE RUNNING AND WORKOUT COMPANION—A superior fitness tracker for marathoners, triathletes, mountain bikers, backcountry hikers, and mountain climbers, Ultra 3 provides precision dual-frequency GPS, Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, Custom Workouts, running power, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* training load, and more.
  • KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash* and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts. Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
  • MULTIDAY BATTERY LIFE—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that’s engineered to give you even longer battery life. It’s perfect for trail runners—with up to 42 hours of normal use and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.* Track a workout with full GPS and heart rate monitoring for up to 20 hours in Low Power Mode.*
  • Current depth is the watch’s depth at that moment.
  • Maximum depth is the deepest point reached during the session.
  • Duration is the elapsed time associated with the underwater session.
  • Water temperature is a watch-sensor reading. Treat it as an operational measurement, not a laboratory-grade or instantaneous temperature measurement.

End the session and unlock the watch

  1. After leaving the water, press and hold the Digital Crown.
  2. Keep holding until the display indicates that the watch is unlocked.
  3. The watch plays tones to eject remaining water from its speaker; normal touch interaction then returns.

Current Apple instructions use a press-and-hold. Instructions that say to rotate the Digital Crown refer to older watchOS behavior (watchOS 8 or earlier). Water Lock also applies to certain water-based workouts and scuba dives. See Apple’s Water Lock instructions.

Find the session information afterward

After surfacing, the Depth app presents a consolidated summary that can include time underwater, maximum depth, and the water-temperature range. Once you dismiss the summary, depth and water-temperature data can be viewed in the Health app. Apple does not say that every metric from the Depth summary transfers to Health.

Keep the three records distinct: the Depth session provides underwater measurements; a separately started Workout session provides exercise tracking; Health receives selected depth and temperature information. The built-in app does not create a comprehensive scuba log, decompression record, or gas log.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Is the built-in Depth app suitable for scuba diving?

Not as a diver’s sole computer. Apple explicitly says Depth is not a dive computer. Its built-in functions are limited to basic measurements:

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #4
Apple Watch Ultra [GPS + Cellular 49mm] Titanium Case with Midnight Ocean Band, One Size (Renewed Premium)
  • WHY APPLE WATCH ULTRA - Rugged and capable, built to meet the demands of endurance athletes, outdoor adventurers, and water sports enthusiasts - with a specialized band for each. Up to 36 hours of battery life, plus all the Apple Watch features that help you stay healthy, safe, and connected.
  • EXTREMELY RUGGED, INCREDIBLY CAPABLE - 49mm corrosion-resistant titanium case. Larger Digital Crown and more accessible buttons. 100m water resistance. Customizable Action button for instant physical control over a variety of functions.
  • BIGGEST, BRIGHTEST DISPLAY YET- A bright Always-On Retina display that’s easy to see, even in direct sunlight. More room for adding complications to customize your watch face.
  • FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES - Advanced metrics in the Workout app, including Heart Rate Zones and Running Form. Precision dual-frequency GPS for accuracy, distance, route, and pace calculations. Trail Loop band is thin, light, and flexible, designed especially for runners.
  • FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURERS - Redesigned Compass app delivers all-new views and functionality. Mark your location with Compass Waypoints. Backtrack uses GPS to map where you’ve been so you can retrace your steps. Alpine Loop band is extremely rugged and secure to meet the needs of hikers and climbers.
Capability Built-in Depth app
Current depth Yes
Maximum depth Yes
Water temperature Yes
Underwater duration Yes
Decompression-stop guidance No
Nitrogen-loading calculations No
Gas analysis or air/nitrox planning No
Tank-pressure monitoring No
Full dive-computer functionality No

Scuba divers who need decompression calculations, gas support, surface-interval tracking, or tank integration need an appropriate dive computer or a compatible third-party app with the required functions. On Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple supports compatible third-party dive-computer apps for recreational diving to 40 meters, but features and limits depend on the individual app. Check compatibility with your exact watch and watchOS, supported gases and decompression model, offline operation, underwater controls, alerts, logging, and any subscription terms. A third-party app does not remove the need for training, appropriate backup instruments, or safe diving practices. Apple’s Depth safety guidance explains the built-in app’s limits.

A dedicated dive computer is the more appropriate choice for divers who routinely scuba dive, require purpose-built underwater controls, tank integration, or extensive dive planning. For snorkeling and casual shallow underwater use, the built-in app may provide the basic measurements needed without a separate dive app.

Troubleshoot common Depth app problems

The app does not open automatically

  1. Check Settings → General → Auto-Launch → When Submerged and confirm the selected behavior and app.
  2. Allow enough submersion for the trigger: Apple’s current guide says more than 1 meter for more than five seconds.
  3. If automatic launch is off, open Depth manually before entering the water.
  4. If you expect a third-party app, verify that it is the selected underwater app.

The screen appears unresponsive

Water Lock has disabled ordinary touchscreen input to prevent accidental taps. After leaving the water, press and hold the Digital Crown until the watch unlocks and ejects water.

You expected a dive computer

Opening Depth does not turn on decompression or gas calculations. If your planned dive needs those functions, configure a compatible dive-computer app before entering the water and continue to carry the instruments your training and dive plan require.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The watch shows yellow below 40 meters

Apple says the display turns yellow below the built-in app’s 40-meter limit and some functions may stop or operate intermittently. Treat that as a warning, not a normal operating mode. Ascend according to your training and established safety procedures; do not use the watch as the sole instrument for deciding what to do.

You suspect damage or a seal problem

Do not deliberately submerge an Ultra with visible damage or suspected seal failure. You can ask Apple about its Depth and Water Seal Test for Ultra models.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Journal

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.