Waltermelon
A water challenge means hitting your daily water goal every day for a set number of days, usually 7 or 30. Start the free 7-day plan below today, no app needed. Want it easier? Waltermelon runs a water challenge with friends for you: everyone drinks to their own goal, the app keeps score, and the team earns Drops (in-app rewards) when you make it.
What is a water challenge?
One goal, every day
You pick a daily water goal that fits you and try to reach it every day of the challenge. Not a gallon because the internet said so. Your own number.
A fixed finish line
Seven days is long enough to build a routine and short enough to finish. Thirty days gives a new habit a real head start.
Better with friends
A hydration challenge is easier when someone notices if you skip. Do it with a partner, a friend or your whole group chat.
A 7-day water challenge anyone can follow
Each day adds one small habit, and you keep the ones from the days before. By day 7 you have a routine that gets you to your goal without thinking about it. Your target every day is your own daily goal.
- Day 1
Drink a glass of water (about 8 fl oz) right after you wake up, before coffee.
You start the day ahead, and it’s the easiest glass to remember.
- Day 2
Have a glass of water with every meal.
Meals happen anyway, so the habit rides along for free.
- Day 3
Carry a refillable bottle and refill it once by lunch.
Water you can see gets drunk. Water in the kitchen doesn’t.
- Day 4
Pair every coffee or tea with a glass of water.
It ties water to a habit you already have.
- Day 5
Set reminders between your wake-up time and bedtime.
A reminder every hour or two beats trying to catch up at night.
- Day 6
Swap one sugary drink for water, sparkling water or water with fruit.
Same habit of reaching for a drink, better drink.
- Day 7
Aim to hit your goal by early evening, then look back at the week.
Fewer bathroom trips at night, and you see which habits worked.
Not sure what your goal should be? Try the water intake calculator or read how much water you should drink. Coffee and tea can count too: see does coffee count as water intake and the drink hydration chart for other drinks. More is not better: spread your water through the day, never chug to catch up. If you have a heart or kidney condition or have been told to limit fluids, talk to your doctor before changing how much you drink.
How Waltermelon makes the 7-day challenge easier
You can do the plan above with a notebook. Waltermelon does the remembering and the counting for you, for free. Curious how it stacks up? See how Waltermelon compares with other water apps or our pick of the best free water tracker apps.
A goal set for you
Waltermelon sets a daily goal when you start, and you can change it any time.
Reminders that fit your day
Pick every 30 minutes up to every 3 hours, only between wake-up time and bedtime. They can stop once you hit your goal.
One-tap logging
Log water, coffee and tea from a home screen widget without opening the app. Syncs with Apple Health and Health Connect.
A streak to protect
Every day you hit your goal grows your streak. Missed one? A Rescue Shield can save it.
The 30-day water challenge
Finished the 7 days? Keep going. A 30-day water challenge uses the same daily goal and gives each week one theme.
- Week 1
Build the base
Follow the 7-day plan above, one new habit a day.
- Week 2
Make it automatic
Same bottle, same refill times, same glass with meals. Try to hit your goal without checking how far you are.
- Week 3
Better drinks
Cut back on sugary drinks and keep caffeine to earlier in the day. Water, tea and sparkling water fill the gap.
- Week 4
Hold the streak
Plan for the hard days (weekends, travel, busy shifts) so one bad day doesn’t end the run.
- Days 29-30
Look back
Notice what changed and keep the two or three habits that did the most.
In Waltermelon, joining a challenge a friend started is always free, whatever its length. Starting one for 3 or 7 days is free too; starting a 14-day, 30-day or weekend challenge takes Premium.
How a water challenge with friends works in Waltermelon
A shared challenge is Waltermelon’s water challenge for groups. You start it, invite friends, and the app tracks everyone’s day for you.
- 1
Start a shared challenge
Pick the type and how long it runs. A Daily goal challenge for 3 or 7 days is free to start.
- 2
Invite your friends
As many as you like, on iPhone or Android. Joining a friend’s challenge is always free. Friends need an account (Apple, Google or email).
- 3
Everyone drinks to their own goal
No shared number: a marathon runner and their mom each aim for their own daily goal.
- 4
Make it together, earn together
If the team reaches its target, everyone gets the same Drops, Waltermelon’s in-app reward.
One missed day won’t sink the team
The team doesn’t need a perfect run, just 70% of all goal days. Four friends on a 7-day challenge have 28 goal days between them, and 20 is enough. A sick day or a long flight won’t cost anyone the reward.
Drops you each earn
The longer the challenge and the bigger the team, the bigger the reward. Each person in a team that makes it gets:
| Length | People in the team | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 4+ | |
| Weekend | 40 | 60 | 80 |
| 3 days | 60 | 90 | 120 |
| 7 days | 140 | 210 | 280 |
| 14 days | 224 | 336 | 448 |
| 30 days | 320 | 480 | 640 |
How it’s counted: 10 Drops per person per day for days 1-7, 6 for days 8-14 and 3 after that, multiplied by the team size up to 4 people. So 7 days with 2 people is 140 Drops each, and with 4 people 280 each. A weekend challenge is Saturday and Sunday. Drops can’t be bought; you earn them and spend them on Rescue Shields.
Hydration challenges you can pick
Every type starts with the same rule: everyone hits their own daily goal. Most add one twist.
Daily goal
Everyone hits their own hydration goal.
Beyond the goal
Your goal plus 20% more.
Morning start
Your goal, and your first drink before 9 am.
No alcohol
Your goal and zero alcohol.
Less sugar
Your goal and no more than 25 g of sugar from drinks.
No caffeine after 4 pm
Your goal and no caffeine after 4 pm.
Variety
Your goal from at least 3 different kinds of drinks.
Some types and the 14-day, 30-day and weekend lengths need Premium to start. Joining a friend’s challenge is always free.
Daily challenges and the Rescue Shield
No friends in yet? Waltermelon gives you a few small challenges every day, like logging 3 drinks or drinking morning and evening. Each one is worth 15 to 25 Drops, with a chest bonus on top.
Your safety net
Spend Drops on a Rescue Shield to save a missed day and keep your streak. That’s the whole point of Drops: they keep one rough day from undoing a good month.
How to finish a water challenge
- 1
Pick a goal you can hit on a busy day
A goal you reach 7 days out of 7 beats a bigger one you hit twice.
- 2
Front-load your day
Try to be about halfway by lunch. Evenings get busy, and late water means night trips to the bathroom.
- 3
Tie water to habits you already have
Waking up, meals, coffee, brushing your teeth. Each one is a free reminder.
- 4
Keep water where you can see it
A bottle on your desk or in your bag gets drunk. Out of sight is out of mind.
- 5
Do it with someone
A friend who can see your progress, cheer you on or send a nudge keeps you honest. Track water with friends to see how.
- 6
Plan for the hard days
Weekends and travel break most streaks. Fill your bottle before you leave, and in Waltermelon keep a Rescue Shield ready.
Water challenge FAQ
What is a water challenge?
A water challenge is a set number of days, usually 7 or 30, in which you try to reach your daily water goal every day. Most people use their own goal rather than one number for everyone. Apps like Waltermelon can track it for you and let you do it with friends.
How does a 7-day water challenge work?
In a 7-day water challenge you add one small habit a day, like a glass on waking, water with every meal and a refillable bottle, and keep the earlier ones, while aiming for your own daily goal each day. In Waltermelon, a 7-day shared challenge with friends is free.
How much water should I drink during a water challenge?
Use your own daily goal. As a reference, the US National Academies set an adequate total water intake of about 125 fl oz a day for men and 91 fl oz for women, counting water from all drinks and food, and needs vary with body size, activity and climate. Waltermelon sets a daily goal for you when you start. If you have a health condition or were told to limit fluids, talk to your doctor.
Can I do a water challenge with friends?
Yes. Waltermelon, a free water tracker for iPhone and Android, lets you start a shared water challenge and invite as many friends as you like (each friend can be in one shared challenge at a time). Everyone drinks to their own daily goal, the app tracks everyone’s progress, and if the team makes it everyone earns Drops.
Is the Waltermelon water challenge free?
Yes. Joining any challenge a friend starts is always free in Waltermelon, whatever its type or length. Starting a shared Daily goal challenge for 3 or 7 days is free too, and so are themed challenges like a no-alcohol October, which anyone can start or join for extra Drops. Premium lets you start 14-day, 30-day and weekend challenges and six more types like No alcohol and Morning start. The app has no ads.
What happens if someone misses a day?
In a Waltermelon shared challenge the team needs 70% of all goal days, not a perfect run. For example, 4 friends on a 7-day challenge have 28 goal days between them and need 20, so one missed day doesn’t fail the team.
How many Drops do you earn in a Waltermelon challenge?
In Waltermelon, everyone in a team that finishes a shared challenge earns the same Drops: 10 per person per day for days 1-7, 6 for days 8-14 and 3 after, multiplied by the team size up to 4 people. A 7-day challenge with 2 people gives 140 Drops each, with 4 people 280 each. Daily challenges add 15 to 25 Drops each, plus a chest bonus.
Can I do a 30-day water challenge in Waltermelon?
Yes. Starting a 30-day shared challenge in Waltermelon takes Premium, and the friends you invite join it for free. Shared challenges of 3 or 7 days are free to start. You can also follow the free 30-day plan on this page and track it with Waltermelon’s streak.
Do coffee and tea count in a water challenge?
It depends on your rules, but in Waltermelon coffee and tea count toward your daily goal, and logging them is free. The app also tracks your caffeine. Alcohol lowers your hydration total in Waltermelon instead of adding to it.
Is a water challenge safe?
For most healthy people, drinking to a sensible daily goal spread through the day is fine. Avoid forcing down large amounts in a short time (skip chug challenges), which can be dangerous. If you have a heart or kidney condition, are pregnant, or have been told to limit fluids, talk to your doctor first. Waltermelon reminders only run between your wake-up time and bedtime to help you spread drinks out.
