How to use the Water Eject
- Remove the case, disconnect any earbuds or Bluetooth speakers, and turn the volume all the way up.
- Press Start water eject and hold the phone with the speaker facing down.
- Let the 30 seconds finish. You may see tiny droplets on the speaker grille, so wipe them off with a soft, dry cloth.
- Play some music to check. If it still sounds muffled, try Pulse or Sweep, or leave the phone to dry for a few hours.
How water eject works
A phone speaker pushes air with a small moving diaphragm. Water sitting on the grille or the diaphragm weighs it down, which is why the sound turns quiet and muffled. A loud, low tone makes the diaphragm move as far as it can, and that motion can shake droplets loose and push them out. The Apple Watch uses the same idea in its built-in Water Lock feature, which plays a series of tones after a swim.
Which sound should I use?
- Steady plays a constant 165 Hz tone, the frequency most water eject tools use. Start here.
- Pulse switches the tone on and off, giving the droplets short, repeated kicks.
- Sweep glides between 120 and 300 Hz, which helps because the best frequency differs from one speaker to the next.
What it can’t do
This tool only helps with water on or near the speaker. It can’t dry the inside of your phone, and it won’t fix a damaged speaker. Sound is no substitute for drying time, so if your phone was fully submerged or acts strangely, turn it off and have it checked. Water resistance also weakens as a phone ages, and salt water or sugary drinks can leave residue that needs professional cleaning.
Drying your phone safely
- Don’t charge it until the charging port is fully dry. Many phones warn you when they detect liquid there.
- Tap the phone gently against your hand with the port facing down to remove excess water.
- Leave it somewhere dry with good airflow.
- Skip the bag of rice, and don’t use a hair dryer or poke anything into the speaker. Rice dust can get into the phone, and heat and sharp objects can damage it.
Want to check the result? Run the Speaker Test, or play any pitch you like with the Frequency Generator. If your microphone sounds muffled too, try the Mic Test.
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Tools that pair well with the Water Eject
- Touch Screen Test — Touch the area below to see every finger your screen detects.
- Dead Pixel Test — Fill your screen with solid colors, gradients and test patterns to spot dead or stuck pixels, backlight bleed and banding — on a new monitor, laptop, TV or phone.
- Hearing Test — Put on headphones and find the quietest tone you can hear in each ear, from low to high frequencies.
- Webcam Test — Check that your camera works and looks good before a video call — see the live picture, the real resolution and frame rate, and save a snapshot.