Padlock icon on an Apple Watch or Garmin: what does it mean?
On an Apple Watch the watch is locked (enter your passcode); on a Garmin it is the control that locks the buttons and touchscreen.
This shape means different things on different watches — check which maker’s line matches yours.
What each maker says
- Apple Watch — Locked. Apple Watch is locked. Tap to enter the passcode and unlock it.
Source: Apple Support: Check the status of Apple Watch (Apple Watch User Guide) (checked 2026-09-29) - Garmin — Lock Device. In the controls menu, selecting it locks the buttons and the touchscreen to prevent accidental presses and swipes.
Source: Garmin Forerunner 265 Series Owner’s Manual: Controls (checked 2026-09-29)
- What it looks like
- A closed padlock. Apple draws it blue.
- Shown by
- Apple Watch, Garmin
- On a phone
- Padlock at the top of a phone screen — what it means on an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Pixel.
Telling it apart
A water drop means the screen is locked against water (Water Lock), unlocked by holding the Digital Crown, not with the passcode.
Icons to compare
Sources
Each meaning above is taken from the watch maker’s own guide, fetched and read on the date shown. The drawing is ours; the real icon on your watch may be drawn a little differently and can change with software updates.
- Apple Watch — Apple Support: Check the status of Apple Watch (Apple Watch User Guide). Covers: watchOS 27, the version the guide opened on; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Garmin — Garmin Forerunner 265 Series Owner’s Manual: Controls. Covers: Forerunner 265 series; the controls on other Garmin models may differ; manual version 9, June 2025. Checked 2026-09-29.