How to activate and use the handwashing timer on Apple Watch

Keeping your hands clean is always an important thing to keep in mind and although it may seem like one of the easiest things to do, it turns out that some people don't wash their hands at all. There that they should. Apple wants to help and has introduced a new handwashing timer to do just that. With the feature enabled, your Apple Watch will detect when you’re washing your hands and count down from 20 to make sure you’re doing it correctly.

That 20-second countdown isn't random, either. The World Health Organization recommends that we wash our hands for at least that long to ensure germs are irradiated, and anything less could be problematic. Previously, it was recommended that sing "Happy Birthday" twice to time hand washes, but having your Apple Watch do the counting seems like a much better way to do it!

Anyone who wants to use the new handwashing feature will need to be using an Apple Watch with watchOS 7 or later installed and have the feature turned on. Here's how to do exactly that.

How to activate handwashing detection

You'll first need to turn on the Apple Watch's handwashing detection feature, and as with so many things, that's found in the Settings app.

1. With the Settings app open on your Apple Watch, scroll down and tap “Handwashing.”
2. Switch “Handwash Timer” to the “On” position to activate the timer function.
3. Set the “Handwashing Reminder” option to “On” so that your watch will alert you if you have not washed your hands for long enough.

Your Apple Watch will now detect when you're washing your hands and automatically start a 20-second timer.

How to check your previous handwashings

Amazingly, your Apple Watch keeps track of how long you've been washing your hands, and you can see that data in the Health app on your device. iPhone. The iPhone must have iOS 14 or later for this to be available.

1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the “Browse” tab.
3. Tap “Handwashing.”

All data is presented along with an explanation of how the feature works.

WatchOS has all kinds of useful features to help you improve your health and make your life easier. Be sure to check out other tips and tricks Tricks Apple Watch to learn many more.