PSA: YouTube Videos Really Can Get Some Water Out of Your iPhone

YouTube videos that play a low sound to vibrate water out of the speakers do, in fact, work, according to a deep dive done by The Verge's David Pierce and iFixit.

Apple iphone 11 water resistant
There are a number of YouTube videos that promise to be able to remove water from an iPhone using sound, and Pierce wanted to find out if they do what they claimed, so he asked iFixit for some help. iFixit dunked an ‌iPhone‌ 13 into water with UV dye, played the video, and then left it overnight to dry out.


Playing one of the YouTube videos during this process clearly expelled water from the ‌iPhone‌'s speaker, and the speakers of other smartphones that were tested from Google and Nokia. The water came out in an initial burst from the sound, but it is worth noting that the video was only able to remove water from the speaker area.

UV dye stained other areas of the ‌iPhone‌ when it was opened up, so the water wasn't draining from the entire phone. The oscillating tone in the YouTube videos is able to push water out of the speaker grille, but it is not a complete fix for a water-saturated device.

water speaker verge ifixit

Water coming out of an ‌iPhone‌'s speaker when a low-toned sound is played, via The Verge and iFixit

On the Apple Watch, Apple has a built-in feature that uses sound to expel water from the device, but that is more effective because it is a smaller object with fewer nooks and crannies than an ‌iPhone‌.

Apple's modern iPhones have IP68 water and dust resistance, with the 8 representing water resistance. IPx8 means that the ‌iPhone‌ 15 can withstand splashes, rain, and accidental dunks up to six meters in depth for 30 minutes. ‌iPhone‌ waterproofing does deteriorate over time with wear and tear, and Apple does not cover water damage, so it is best to avoid water exposure when possible.

The Verge's full look at how these YouTube videos work is well worth checking out.

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Top Rated Comments

now i see it Avatar
15 months ago
It works better in 4K
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
15 months ago
PSA: if you keep your iPhone out of water or liquids you don’t have to worry about this. :cool:
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
15 months ago
Now you can use your iPhone to siphon water out of your toilet.

Plumbers hate this one simple trick



Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Arran Avatar
15 months ago
So it’s just the same principle as Apple Watch’s “water lock” unlocking tone applied to the iphone?

Topologically speaking, the water being ejected was never really “in” your phone in the first place.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
segfaultdotorg Avatar
15 months ago
I use the iWater Pro app.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jarman92 Avatar
15 months ago
PSA: You can also use this handy dandy Shortcut ('https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/e5f91703594f4e5f91e4d9f22ff8955a').
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)