How to Get Water Out of Your Cellphone’s Speakers

Did you accidentally get water inside your phone's speaker? Many modern iPhones and Androids may be water-resistant, but their speakers are still susceptible to water damage, which can muffle their audio output and eventually cause severe damage to other parts of the phone. Water damage also voids most warranties, so it can be crucial to get the water out of your phone speaker by yourself. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can try to remove water from your device's speaker. This wikiHow article teaches you various ways you can remove water from your phone's speaker.

Get Water Out of Your Phone Speaker

You can use apps or websites that emit a high-frequency sound to push water out of your speaker. You can also use a small vacuum with a nozzle to suck the water out. To make sure your phone is completely dry, power it off and dry it with a dry microfiber cloth. Allow it to air dry for 24 to 48 hours.

1

Dry your phone.

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The first thing you should do if your phone gets wet is to power it off. Remove it from its case and use a dry microfiber cloth or dry lint cloth to wipe away any visible water from the phone. If you have a removable battery, be sure to remove it and dry the inside. Use cotton swabs to dry any tight places, such as the speaker and charging port. Also, be sure to eject the SIM card and/or SD Card and make sure the slots are dry.

2

Gently shake your phone.

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Aim your phone so that the speaker is facing down. Gently shake your phone so that gravity helps pull the water out of your speaker. Don’t shake too roughly. This could splash the water deeper inside your phone.^{[1]
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3

Use a vacuum cleaner.

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Use a small vacuum to suck out the water. Make sure your phone is powered off. Use a low-powered vacuum with a small nozzle to remove water from the affected area.
- Clean the vacuum nozzle before using it so other dust and debris does not find its way into your speaker.

4

Air dry your phone.

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Allow your phone to air dry. Make sure the phone is powered off. Place it on a dry cloth or down in a warm, well-ventilated area. Allow your phone to sit for 24 to 48 hours.
- If there is a lot of water in the speaker, try placing the phone on a slight incline with the speaker facing downwards, allowing gravity to help push the water droplets out.

5

Use a water eject website.

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There are many water eject websites. These websites work by playing a high-frequency tone that forces water out of your speaker. The most popular is fixmyspeakers.com. Go to this website on your phone’s web browser and turn your phone’s volume all the way up. Tap the button in the center of the screen and hold your phone so the speaker faces down.
- Tap the button to stop the sound once you no longer see water droplets emerging from the speaker.
- You can tap the button again to push out more water. Try not to let the sound play for longer than 10-15 seconds.^{[2]
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6

Use an app.

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There are also apps that use sound to eject water. If this is a frequent problem, you may want to consider installing an app that uses sound to remove water from your speaker. On iPhone, you can download and install Sonic App from the App Store. On Android, you can download and install Clear Wave - Water Eject from the Google Play Store. Turn your phone’s volume all the way up. Open the app and play the sound. Hold your phone down so that the water is ejected from the speaker.
- Tap the button to stop the sound once you no longer see water droplets emerging from the speaker.
- You can tap the button again to push out additional bits of water. Try not to let the sound play for longer than 10-15 seconds.

7

Try the Water Eject Shortcut (iPhone).

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Use this shortcut as an alternative water ejection apps. You can install a shortcut that ejects water from your iPhone's speaker using the Shortcuts app. First you need to allow unofficial shortcuts. Use the following steps install the shortcut:^{[3]
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- Open the Settings app. Tap Shortcuts > Allow untrusted shortcuts.
- Open the Water Eject shortcut link in a browser on your phone. The "Water Eject" shortcut mimics the official "Water Eject" feature included on Apple Watch devices.^{[4]
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- Turn your iPhone’s volume all the way up.
- Open the Shortcuts app.
- Tap the Water Eject shortcut.
- Tap Begin Water Ejection.
- Hold your iPhone so the speaker faces down while the sound plays. Don’t play it for more than 15-20 seconds. Tap the button again to stop the sound.

8

Use silica gel packets.

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Silica gel can help remove moisture. Make sure your phone is powered down. Gather as many silica gel pouches as you can find. Place your phone in a bag with the silica gel packets. Leave the phone in the sealed bag for 24-48 hours.^{[5]
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- Do not open the silica gel packets. Using loose silica gel beads could do more harm than good if fragments get into the speakers or other openings on your phone.
- Do not use rice or kitty litter. While it is common to use white rice, it is not as effective as you may think, and might actually do more harm than good. Rice will have little to no effect on drying your phone's speaker and can allow dust particles to get inside your phone and cause damage.

9

Get your phone professionally repaired.

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Water can cause damage to your speaker and its insides. If the problem persists, or you notice other problems, such as screen malfunctions, overheating, visible fog or moisture, and software glitches, , or if the phone won’t turn on at all, you may need to take it to a professional repair shop and have it fixed. However, it may be cheaper to replace your phone with a new one.

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Warnings

Do not plug in or power on your phone when it is wet. Electrical current can cause a fatal short in your phone that will cause permanent damage.

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Do not use rice or kitty litter. Multiple tests have been done to show that rice is ineffective at drying your phone. Furthermore, both rice and kitty litter can introduce dust particles that can get into the charging ports or speaker grill and introduce more problems.

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Do not use blow dryers or compressed air. This can push the water further up into your phone and cause more damage. Furthermore, heat from a blow dryer can damage the water-resistant rubber and adhesives on your phone.

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Stop taking your phone to the bathroom or shower. Steam from the shower can cause more water damage than a quick dunk in the toilet.

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Be aware that water-resistant IP ratings are only for shallow fresh water in controlled lab conditions. They are not rated for salt water, chlorinated water (i.e., pool water), or other liquids. They are also not rated for high-pressure water or deep water conditions. All of this can damage the water resistance on your phone.

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Be aware that water-resistant seals degrade over time. They can be further degraded by heat, age, and physical impacts.

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Be extremely careful with isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol can work if you use 99% alcohol (not 70%). However, it can also damage the coating on the screen, and weaken the rubber seals on your phone. Leave this method to the pros.

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