Did your phone accidentally end up wet? Do you think that the phone speaker has some water droplets muffling its voice? Worried that your phone is on the way to serious damage and destruction? But how to get water out of speakers?
Fret not. This is a common occurrence. Yes. Phones end up in the water a lot more than you think. Unfortunately, you can save not all phones. But fortunately, many can, and that’s what we’ll do in this post.
There are two aspects to consider when getting water out of a phone. One is the internal system, and the other is the phone speaker. Speakers are usually affected first as water droplets easily enter inside through the tiny gaps on the phone speaker grill. Not ejecting this water will lead to other issues with the phone. The phone speaker will be damaged first, and then the phone will start to malfunction. Water exposure could ruin the internal circuit.
Shall we learn more about getting water out of the phone speaker and make sure the device is free of moisture?
Can Water Damage a Speaker?
Yes, it can. Water might be a good conductor of electricity, but it is not a friendly companion to electronic gadgets. When a phone gets wet, the water particles enter the USB/ lightning port, the phone speaker, and the microphone.
Your priority should be to remove the water from these key parts and dry the phone completely to remove the moisture. A simple phone shake can eject some water from the phone speakers and microphone. But if you aren’t careful, shaking the phone too much can allow the water to seep further inside the phone and reach the circuit.
When water droplets sit on the phone speaker grill, they start to damage the tiny drivers and components in the speaker. The phone speaker begins to play at low volume and gives muffled audio. If your phone sounds odd after being exposed to a splash of water, it’s a clear sign that some water remains in the phone speaker or the microphone. Therefore, you need to remove water from the phone to prevent damage.
How to Get Water Out of iPhone Speakers?
Those who have Apple iWatch know of an easy way to eject water from phone speaker. However, the same feature is not available on iPhones. iPhone 7 and the later versions are water-resistant. But, alas! That doesn’t make them invincible. We still have to get the water out of the iPhone speakers. So let’s look at a few methods to try at home.
Download Third-Party Apps
Apple App Store has some cool apps that work similarly to Apple Watch water ejection technology. Install the Sonic app (or the shortcuts app) on the iPhone and open it. Keep the phone on a flat surface or an inclined surface. The bottom of the phone should be towards the slope so that water can seep out easily.
Increase the iPhone speaker volume to full. Follow the instructions (press the water drop icon) and play the sonic sound. The sound waves will push the water droplets from inside the iPhone speakers grills to outside the phone. The process can take a few minutes.
Use a Fan or Blower
A fan or a blower can blow out water from the iPhone speaker grills. However, be careful when doing this. Too much air pressure is also not good for the speakers.
Use Silica Gel
Silica gel sachets are effective and work faster in removing water and moisture from smartphones. Wipe the iPhone with a dry cloth (especially the speaker)and place it in a box with the sachets. Close the lid and leave the box untouched for at least 12 hours.
Use Uncooked Rice
Raw rice is a popular hack to remove water from phones. Place the iPhone in a box of raw rice and close the lid. Keep the box in a dark place for 24 to 48 hours. The rice should absorb water and moisture from the phone.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Wipe the phone with a soft, clean, and dry cloth immediately after taking it out of the water.
- Wash the phone with clean water (at moderate water pressure) if any other liquid spills.
- Don’t use the charging port or connect any cables to it.
- Don’t use pins and cotton swabs to clean the lightning port.
- Don’t open the SIM tray or touch the SIM card when the iPhone is wet.
- Be calm and patient when cleaning the iPhone speaker.
How to Get Water Out of iPhone Microphone?
The microphone is also at a high risk of being damaged due to water exposure. Muffled sounds are a clear indication of debris or water blocking the microphone and preventing it from working properly.
While water ejection apps and sounds can remove water from the phone speaker grills, we cannot follow the same technique for the microphone. Here’s what you can do to remove the water iPhone’s microphone without causing more damage to the device.
Use a Hair Dryer
You can use the hair dryer to blow hot air and remove water drops from the iPhone microphone. That said, keep the hairdryer in the lowest setting and use it only for a few minutes. Too much hot air can cause serious damage to the microphone. Also, maintain a distance of six inches between the phone and the hairdryer.
Use a Vacuum Cleaner
Place the vacuum cleaner’s suction nozzle on the iPhone mic and turn it on at low speed. It will suck the water particles from the phone speaker in a couple of minutes. Tap the phone first to remove water and then use the vacuum for the remaining drops.
Try Gentle Tapping
Place a dry cloth on a flat surface and hold the phone over it in one hand. Gently tap on the backside (the speaker and mic should be facing downward, towards the cloth) for the water drops to get dislodged from the microphone and fall onto the cloth (gravity does the job). Then, place the phone in a ziplock bag with rice or silica gel and seal it inside for 12-36 hours.
Visit a Technician
If none of the above hacks work, and the microphone continues to play muffled sounds, take the iPhone to a service center. So don’t try to take it apart on your own.
How to Get Water Out of Android Speakers?
Android smartphones or phone speakers are not that different from iPhones. Water is not good for either of them. Even a water-resistant phone with IP67 can be affected by water damage. The speakers will be the first ones to go kaput in many instances.
Silica gel and uncooked rice are common solutions for Android and iPhones. The do’s and don’ts also remain the same.
So how else can we get rid of water from an Android phone speaker? Here’s how.
Try the Speaker Cleaner Feature
The MIUI software on some Android phones (like Redmi) has a hidden speaker cleaner feature that works similarly to the one in Apple Watch. We use sonic sound frequency to release sound waves to push the water drops away from the speaker grill.
Shake the Phone
Give your phone a good shake by ensuring that the speaker grill faces downward. Gravity and your hand’s movement should dislodge water from the speaker, microphone, and any other part of the phone.
Avoid Charging or Heating
Don’t use the charging port after it is exposed to water. Even though modern phones have built-in short detection to prevent circuit damage and a rubber gasket to prevent water damage, you should not charge the phone until the speaker has dried. Don’t place the phone in a hot oven or heat it near a candle or stove.
How to Get Water Out of Earphones and Headphones?
Earphones and headphones are equally susceptible to water damage. In fact, people have washed earphones with their clothes. So you need to pat them dry with a clean cloth first. Press a little firmly only the speaker to absorb the water from the drivers.
You can shake the headphones but don’t hit them against any hard surface, as this will jolt the drivers inside and damage the circuit entirely. Also, blow air through the mouth to dislodge water instead of using a blow dryer or vacuum cleaner. Don’t use the headphones for another 48 hours (or more) unless you are fully sure they are free of water or moisture. Placing them in a bag with silica gel or rice can help too.
Eject Water by Merely Pressing a Button
It’s risky to wait for the water to dry out. Instead, you need to speed up the process without damaging the phone the process. We know that all phones don’t have similar water resistance. The IP rating indicates how much water the phone can handle, but even this comes with conditions and limitations.
In short, if you don’t take the necessary steps to remove the water from the mobile phone, it can damage the mobile speaker. So we have a very simple solution to prevent this.
Use the Fix My Headphones feature on our website. Start playing the sound at full volume for 15 minutes. That’s it. You can watch the water from the phone speaker and headphones speakers falling out. You can also use this feature if you’ve dropped AirPods in water.
Final Words
We hope you have the necessary information to save your phone and headphone speaker from water damage. Follow the steps mentioned in our post. Your device should be dry, and the speaker should sound normal. However, if the problem persists, contact a service center.
