If you’ve made a mistake and dropped your phone into water, or had some other kind of similar emergency, you may be wondering whether your phone is waterproof!
Newer phones from the past few years actually have some great metrics showing their ability to resist water infiltration and water damage. If you’re wondering how to get water out of phone models like the iPhone 15 or iPhone 14, for example, you’re in luck, because the technology is going to help a lot.
So one of the first things to look at is how phones have improved over time, and what you can expect when your phone is submerged in water. Keep in mind the IP68 actually applies to salt water as well, which is great news for those who love the “salt life”.
A “Waterproof” Phone?
First of all, people who understand the design of modern smartphones would say you shouldn’t consider a phone to be totally “waterproof” in any case. Instead, there is kind of a spectrum of water-resistant capability that people use (and that the manufacturer uses, too) to evaluate how well a phone stands up to water. There’s a system developed called “ingress protection” or “IP” rating. It will show you what your phone is supposed to be able to handle in terms of water submersion.
Progressive IP Ratings
There are two main ratings that phone makers are using right now. IP67 means that a phone can survive submersion in water that’s up to 1 meter deep, for 30 minutes.
IP68 means the phone can survive the same scenario with water up to 2 meters deep, again, for 30 minutes.
That doesn’t mean that your phone is going to be magically broken by water damage as soon as it is submerged for 31 minutes. It’s a rating system that explains how the phone is designed to manage this sort of emergency. Don’t take your phone swimming or jet skiing; don’t drop it in the toilet. The IP design is supposed to be a backup support just in case the phone does come in contact with water. It’s nice, too, because older phones don’t have the same protection. IP ratings also involve a rating against dust infiltration.
iPhones and Water Resistance
If you want to look at it chronologically, the IP system was introduced somewhere around 2016.Here’s how various iPhones stack up:
- Models beginning with the iPhone 6 and earlier are not rated for ingress protection.
- The iPhone 7 through the iPhone 10 get an IP67 rating.
- Starting with iPhone 11, the phones get an IP68 rating, although the classic style iPhone SE still has IP67.
It’s also important to note that standard Apple warranties will not cover water-related problems. In fact, Apple has installed something called a liquid contact indicator, that means the company would actually know if a wet phone was submerged in water.
Rescuing a Submerged Phone
So what do you do if you accidentally get your phone wet? What if you’re looking at a pond (or a toilet bowl) with your phone inside it?
Here are some helpful steps to follow:
1. Get It Out (Of the Water)
The first step is to get your phone out of the water to avoid further damage. You want to remove all evident water from the surfaces of the phone, and get it somewhere safe and dry. Then you can do all of that other “rescuing.”
2. Power Down the Phone
Whether it’s an iPhone or an Android model, experts recommend immediately powering off the phone while trying to save it. This stops the functions that can exacerbate a water problem.
3. Release Trapped Water
This is the step where you look at all of the places that water can get trapped when a phone is submerged.
The first step is to get rid of cases or protectors that may have been infiltrated by water. Wipe these off, and put them somewhere away from the phone. You’ll also want to remove the sim card and the battery, as well as any accessories, and dry those areas out, too.
4. Rinsing the Phone
It might seem counterintuitive, but if the phone fell in dirty water or some kind of contaminated liquid, you want to quickly rinse the phone off and get that film or contaminant off of the surfaces. Then, again, make sure it’s dry as possible.
When the phone is dry, open it up and look for internal water or moisture.
If you do have moisture inside the phone internally, you can use these kinds of techniques:
5. Fresh Air
Air drying can be a way to get rid of moisture inside of the phone’s body. You may be able to use a hair dryer, but be careful not to overheat the components or blow too much air directly on sensitive systems.
Simple air drying works, too. You probably don’t need compressed air, although it might be helpful for some of the nooks and crannies in your phone’s exterior. (pro tip: you probably don’t want to use a vacuum cleaner!)
6. Silica Agents
You can also use some types of silica gel product or drying agents to remove some of the moisture. You may have some of this industrial stuff lying around, because it comes packaged with so many consumer products.
Silica gel packets are one of the most effective agents for drying anything, including your phone. Just don’t leave them in reach of children, or pets. .
7. Time Will Tell
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they have a water emergency is to turn their phone back on as soon as they’re done with the cleaning process.
The more time you can give your phone, the more any residual moisture or liquid is going to evaporate. So you want to wait as long as you can before trying to turn the phone back on. Sometimes this can make the difference between success and failure in terms of rescuing a water-submerged phone.
Testing Your Phone
When you feel like enough time has passed, you want to gently test out the phone’s function. Put removable batteries and everything else back in first. Then, turn the phone on and look for signs of life.
If all goes well, you’re back on your way to enjoying your smartphone. If there are any hiccups, you can also experiment with changing out core parts like the battery or sim card.
Additional Coverage
Your standard Apple warranty might not cover water damage, but some sort of protection plans can. Ask your vendor about whether your phone has some additional protection against this type of damage.
iPhone and Android Phones
So what’s the difference between Apple iPhone and other makers when it comes to water resistance? There are some Android models that come with an IP68 rating. Some of the later model Samsung Galaxy devices are an example.
More Tips for Drying
Let’s look at more helpful input from people who have been in this kind of situation before.
Wipers and Dryers
Many experts point out that certain kinds of tools for drying or cleaning the phone can damage the screen. One recommendation is a lint-free towel that can provide the soft touch needed to remove water or contaminants from a device screen and other surfaces. Another tip is to use rubbing alcohol as a cleaner.
Dry Out the Speaker Grill
The speaker area is another place where water can collect in a modern smartphone. While some Apple devices have certain kinds of frequency-based tools for ejecting water from the speaker area, many of them are Apple Watches, and that technology is not ubiquitous in phones.
However, you can get into the speaker cabinet and remove water manually. This might make a difference in your sound output after you have dropped your phone in the water. You might want to hit the charging port, too, though it’s best to go gently when removing water from this area.
The Rice and Couscous Trick
Yes, it is possible to dry out a phone by placing it in the proximity of these foods, in a sealed bag (or other sealed container), maybe with a paper towel in there, too. But lots of experts would recommend silica instead. Rice can actually cause damage to your device!
A Tip From Those Who Came Before
When we talk to people who have had trouble with water damage to their phones, we hear one thing over and over again: keep your phone data backed up!
It’s even easier now, in the age of cloud storage. But too many people don’t have effective backups, and lose things that matter to them if their phone somehow gets dumped in the water.
That being said, we have seen a lot of phones come back to life, even after being submerged. We’ve seen phones recover from having water in the battery compartment or next to the sim card. But the overwhelming consensus from our customers is – don’t tempt fate. Keep everything backed up, so that even if you drop your phone and can’t revive it, you won’t have a problem!
When you get better deals on a pre-owned smartphone, it’s easier to replace a device, financially, if you need to. You’re still getting great value and very modern functional smartphones – you’re just not paying sky-high out-of-the-box prices for factory direct models. It’s sort of like buying a used car – you get nearly the same effective product for a whole lot less!
One way to get a better deal in long-term smartphone ownership is to go with refurbished pre-owned phones from Gazelle. When you buy from us, you’re buying from a company that believes in value and excellent customer service, too. We make sure to sell all of our phones with transparent pricing and condition guides, as well as all of the features and functionality that you want in a pre-owned phone model.
Think about the best way to buy a preowned smart phone device or tablet and dispose of your old device in a responsible way. You can get your pre-owned device in various colors and styles, and with different internal storage options. It’s all part of the enormous value we provide to those who want a lot more phone, for a lot less money.
FAQ
Can I get my phone wet?
Even though many late-model iPhones and Android models have excellent weather resistance ratings, it’s still not advisable to get your phone wet. Damage from water submersion is something that is different on a case to case basis – it’s hard to say with any certainty what your phone will be like after you drop it in the water.
What phones should I get for better water protection ratings?
Our guide shows that starting with Apple iPhone 11, the top IP68 rating is built into Apple smartphones.
iPhones older than that have a slightly less stringent IP67 rating. Both of them indicate that the phone can withstand submersion for up to half an hour. The IP68 rating specifies water up to a depth of 2 meters, where the IP67 rating specifies water up to a depth of 1 meter.
Is there’s a phone that’s completely waterproof?
Many of the newest phones, like some iPhone and Samsung Galaxy models, have a top water-resistance rating of IP68, meaning that they are rated for being used in up to 2 meters of water, for 30 minutes. However, none of these phones are “recommended” for underwater use, and some of the Apple phones have water damage indicators, so be sure to research your phone model well before deciding to take your device for a swim.
Can I take pictures underwater?
Although no smartphones are recommended for underwater use, the newer ones with a rating of IP68 are built to withstand water for up to 30 minutes at a maximum depth of 6 feet.