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.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...

Top Rated Comments

now i see it Avatar
7 months ago
It works better in 4K
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
7 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
7 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
7 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
7 months ago
I use the iWater Pro app.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jarman92 Avatar
7 months ago
PSA: You can also use this handy dandy Shortcut ('https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/e5f91703594f4e5f91e4d9f22ff8955a').
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)