I have an Apple Watch Series 2 that is roughly 9.5 years old. Its battery has been weak for a while, but it normally still worked. I wore it during an aquafit class for about an hour in water only a few feet deep. Afterward, the watch was completely dead. When I first put it on the charger at home, the Apple logo appeared briefly and it seemed like it might be charging, but now the screen stays blank and nothing happens when it is placed on the charger. Could the aging water seals have failed and caused liquid damage? Is there anything worth trying, such as a reset or drying it out, or is the watch probably beyond repair?
3 Answers
A Series 2 lasting around 9.5 years is unusually good. You can try holding the side button and Digital Crown together for about 10–15 seconds to force a restart, but if it shows no response on the charger or after that reset, there probably is not a practical home fix.
After nearly a decade, the water seals are very likely no longer reliable. They can degrade with age even if the watch has been treated carefully, so water may have entered during the class. The brief Apple logo followed by total failure is consistent with liquid damage, and once it reaches the internal electronics, recovery is unlikely.
It sounds much more like water damage than a normal flat battery. Rice generally does not remove liquid from inside a sealed electronic device and can leave dust behind. Avoid repeatedly charging or powering it on, since that can worsen a short. At this age, professional repair would likely cost more than replacing it, so it may simply have reached the end of a remarkably long run.
Would drying it in rice or leaving it somewhere warm give it any chance, or is that probably too late?