Water Eject
Play a 165 Hz water eject tone to push water out of your phone's speaker after a splash, plus a dust-clearing sweep. Free, in your browser, nothing to install.
Volume warning: this tone plays at full volume on purpose, because that's what pushes the water out. Take off headphones and earbuds first, and keep the phone away from your ear while it plays.
How to test
- 01Wipe the phone dry and take off any case.
- 02Turn off silent mode and turn the media volume all the way up. Take off headphones.
- 03Hold the phone with the speaker grille facing down, so the water can drip out.
- 04Press Eject water and let it play for 30 seconds. Repeat 2–3 times if the sound is still muffled.
- 05Check the result with the Speaker Test.
How a water eject tone works
A phone's speaker sits behind a fine mesh. A splash or a swim can leave droplets in that mesh and in the small cavity behind it, which makes the sound muffled or crackly. A loud low tone makes the speaker's diaphragm move back and forth a long way, and that movement pumps the droplets out through the grille.
That's why it works best at full volume, with the speaker facing down, in a few rounds of 15–30 seconds. Pulse mode starts and stops the tone, and the dust sweep glides from 100 to 600 Hz to shake loose lint and dust.
When it won't help
- Water inside the phone itself: only drying time, or a repair shop, helps.
- A speaker that was already distorted or damaged before the splash.
- Salt water, pool water or a sugary drink: for its water-resistant iPhones, Apple's advice is to rinse the affected area with tap water, then dry it.
- Sound that's quiet rather than muffled: check the volume, silent mode and Bluetooth with the Speaker Test first.
What your result means
The sound is clear again after 1–3 rounds
The droplets in the speaker grille are gone.
If water also got into the charging port, wait until it's dry before charging.
Still muffled or crackly
Water is still in the grille or behind the mesh.
Try Pulse mode, keep the speaker facing down, and let the phone dry for a few hours in a dry spot with some airflow.
No sound at all
The sound is going elsewhere (silent mode, Bluetooth), or the speaker is damaged.
Turn off silent mode and Bluetooth, then try the Speaker Test. Still silent once dry? Have the phone repaired.
A 'Liquid detected' alert when you charge
There's water in the charging port, not just the speaker.
Unplug, follow the iPhone steps below, and wait at least 30 minutes before charging.
How to fix it
iPhone
- Unplug every cable and accessory.
- Tap the iPhone gently against your hand with the charging port facing down to get the excess liquid out.
- Leave it in a dry place with some airflow. Don't use a hair dryer or any heat, don't push cotton swabs or paper into the port, and don't put it in rice: Apple advises against all three.
- If you see a 'Liquid detected' alert, wait at least 30 minutes before you try to charge it.
Android
- If water may have got inside, turn the phone off and dry the outside.
- Some phones have a built-in speaker-cleaning option in their sound or extra settings; you can use it or the tone above.
- Let it dry with the speaker and port facing down, away from heat.
Apple Watch
- Apple Watch has this built in: turning off Water Lock after a swim plays tones that push water out of its speaker.
Dust and lint
- Turn the phone off and brush the grille gently with a dry, soft-bristled brush.
- Lift lint with a little sticky putty: dab it on and off, don't press it in.
- Never push pins or cotton swabs into the speaker or port.
- Then play the dust sweep to shake loose what's left.
Questions
Does a water eject sound really work?
It helps with water caught in the speaker grille. A loud low tone makes the speaker's diaphragm move back and forth a long way, which pushes droplets out through the mesh. Apple Watch uses the same idea after swimming. It can't remove water from inside the phone or undo water damage.
Why 165 Hz?
It's the tone the popular water-eject shortcuts use. Low tones make a speaker move further than high ones at the same volume, and a phone speaker can still play 165 Hz loudly.
Can it damage my speaker?
Not in normal use: phone speakers are built to play this loud in short bursts. Play it for up to a minute at a time, and stop if it sounds distorted.
Should I put my wet phone in rice?
No. Apple advises against it, because small particles of rice can get into the phone. Dry it in open air instead.
Is there a water eject shortcut for iPhone?
There are third-party Siri shortcuts that play a similar tone. This page does the same in your browser, with nothing to install.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The test runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you see, say or film is sent to us or stored anywhere.