Remove water from iPhone with YouTube video

A technology journalist was skeptical about the comments on the video, then decided to call iFixit to check this claim.

The 2-minute video, titled Sound To Remove Water From Phone Speaker (GUARANTEED), has reached about 45 million views over a period of 4 years.

The video has also attracted more than 140,000 comments, many of which claim that they have tried it and found it effective. The Verge's David Pierce tried it and it seems to work, but wonders if it's just a coincidence.

I experienced this for the first time earlier this year after my nephew's phone slipped out of his pocket and into a river near an Airbnb in a small town in Virginia. Miraculously we found our nephew's phone, then brought it inside and started trying to dry it. Later, a friend of his just casually suggested playing "one of those videos that help the water drain." We turned on 'Sound To Remove Water From Phone Speaker (GUARANTEED)" and finally, the phone was fine.

Since then, I've been trying to figure out if these videos really work or is it because phones have become much more waterproof and durable in recent years? Should we stop recommending rice and start recommending this video?

Apple didn't want to comment, even though the Apple Watch's water propulsion system works the same way. Audio company Bose says this theory sounds quite reasonable.

All the speaker really does is push air around, and if you can push enough air, with enough force, you can push liquid droplets out. "The lowest sound that speaker can reproduce, at the highest volume it can output," says Eric Freeman, senior research director at Bose. 'That will create the most air movement, pushing out the water inside the phone.'

In general, the larger the speaker, the louder and deeper the sound. Phone speakers are usually very small. Freeman said 'So those YouTube videos aren't really in-depth. But it is within the range of bass that the phone can output' .

iFixit tested the video with four phones, including the iPhone 13, and it works - to an extent.

While playing the video on each phone, Ritter also recorded a close-up video of the speaker on each phone, and in every case, the phone immediately spewed out a series of water droplets. The effect didn't last long, but it clearly sprayed out water that would otherwise have remained inside the machine.

However, the benefits, as you would expect, are limited to the speakers. If you have water in the USB port, SIM slot, or underneath the buttons, the video won't help.

Micah Soto

Update 28 August 2024