AquaApp is a University of Washington research system that sends messages between divers as sound through water, using a phone’s speaker and microphone. In the 2022 demonstration, its interface offered 240 preset messages, and researchers reported messaging at about 30 metres under their test conditions. That is a research result, not a guarantee of reliable communication on every dive or proof that a supported consumer app is currently available for every phone.
How can scuba divers communicate underwater with a smartphone?
AquaApp does not send its underwater messages over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Those radio technologies do not provide the link AquaApp needs underwater; instead, the system transmits acoustic signals through the water from one device’s speaker to another device’s microphone. The receiving phone interprets the signal and displays the message. The system was described in the peer-reviewed paper “Underwater Messaging Using Mobile Devices”.
That makes AquaApp different from a conventional messaging app: it is designed to exchange short messages acoustically between nearby devices, not to provide an underwater internet connection.
What messages does AquaApp send?
The interface described by the University of Washington offered 240 preset messages corresponding to professional divers’ hand signals. The 20 most common messages were easy to access, and the choices could be filtered into eight categories, including direction, environment and equipment status. This preset approach lets divers choose a message without typing a long text underwater. UW’s 2022 announcement describes the interface.
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How far did the underwater messaging system work?
The reported distances are results from specific research tests, not a dependable range rating for a phone or dive. UW’s project page says the team evaluated AquaApp in six real-world underwater environments at depths of 2–15 metres, with bit rates from 100 bits per second to 1.8 kilobits per second, and reports a 30-metre range. It says reducing the bit rate to 10–20 bits per second can extend range to 100 metres.
UW’s August 2022 news release separately reports experiments reaching distances of up to 113 metres and depths of up to 12 metres. In that release, co-lead author Tuochao Chen described 30 metres as the ideal range for messages and 100 metres for SOS beacons. The project page and news release summarize the test work differently, so their depth figures should not be combined into one universal operating specification.
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In practice, transmission depends on distance, device audio hardware, background noise, movement and underwater reflections. Sound may reflect from the surface, bottom and coastline; UW co-lead author Justin Chan noted that these reflections can worsen fluctuations in signal strength. A result reached in a research test therefore does not establish that a message will arrive clearly in different water, with another phone or during a moving dive.
What equipment and precautions are needed?
A phone used underwater needs a waterproof case or dive housing rated for the intended depth. A general splashproof pouch is not a substitute for scuba-rated protection. The paper notes that dive-case ratings vary, but the reviewed project materials do not certify any particular phone-and-case combination. Check both the exact phone-model fit and the housing’s depth rating before a dive. The AquaApp paper discusses the case requirement and variation in ratings.
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UW reported a battery test in which two Samsung Galaxy S9 phones, running the system continuously at maximum volume with their screens on, lost 32% of their charge over four hours. That figure applies only to that stated test setup; it is not a battery-life estimate for other devices or conditions. The university’s 2022 release gives the test details.
AquaApp is a research demonstration, not an established replacement for standard diver signals, buddy procedures or safety practices. The sources describing it do not establish approval as a safety system or replacement for specialized communication equipment.
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Is AquaApp available to download now?
As of September 30, 2026, UW’s project page identifies an Android implementation and points to open-source code. The materials reviewed do not establish current consumer-store availability, ongoing maintenance, support for current phone models or compatibility with specific cases. Access to source code is not the same as a supported app ready for any diver to install and use.
SharkShout is a separate product, not AquaApp. Its Apple App Store listing, accessed September 30, 2026, describes an Apple Watch app for displaying dive signals or text as a scrolling marquee, with sound encoding for another nearby watch running SharkShout. The listing recommends Apple Watch Ultra series. It should not be described as a smartphone version of AquaApp; store availability and compatibility can change.
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