Free browser tool
Get water out of your phone speaker
Free. About 2 minutes. No app.
Free water eject sound, about 2 minutes, no app. A low tone can push droplets out of the speaker grille. It does not dry the phone.
- Shows the real frequency
- Pulses, not one long tone
- No app, runs in your browser
Before you start
- Volume to maximumTurn the volume to maximum.
- Bluetooth offDisconnect Bluetooth headphones and speakers.
- Speaker side downPut the phone speaker side down on a dry cloth.
- Away from your earKeep the phone away from your ear, and from pets, while the tone plays.
A splash, or a quick drop in a sink or pool? You can use the tone.Was the phone under water for a long time, does it not turn on, or is there fog inside the camera lens? Do not use the tone. Go to wet phone first aid.
Includes a short listen check before and after. Change it in Options.
We show the exact frequency we play. How we measured
Not sure what is wrong with the speaker? Find the likely fix
Listen check: before
Listen to the short rising sweep. How does it sound?
It says: “This is a voice check. Listen to the words. Do they sound clear, or muffled?”
Cycle 1 of 3
Nothing to do. Keep the phone speaker side down.
Spectrum of the generated signal, 0 to 1000 Hz
The measured value comes from the sound this page generates, before your phone's speaker. It is not a microphone reading.
Pause before cycle 2 of 3
Wipe the speaker grille with a dry cloth. Tap the phone gently against your hand with the connector facing down. Then put it speaker side down again.
- Turn the volume up with the side buttons. A web page cannot change your volume.
- Disconnect Bluetooth. The tone may be playing in your headphones or car.
- Close other apps that play sound, then try again.
- iPhone only: if the silent switch is on, tap the button below. It tries a second audio mode.
Result
Next steps
Drying timer
Wait at least 5 hours before you charge with a cable.
- Take off the case.
- Take out the SIM tray with the tool from the box. Dry the tray with a soft cloth.
- Leave the phone in moving air. A fan with cool air is fine. Do not use heat, compressed air or rice.
Why 5 hours, and when 30 minutes is enough
Wait at least 5 hours before you charge with a cable. This is Apple's rule for a wet iPhone. Apple's liquid-alert page allows a first try after 30 minutes if no alert shows. Waiting longer is safer. Android makers give no single wait time. Google says to let the phone dry at room temperature. Samsung says to dry it and avoid heat. Wireless charging is fine once the back is dry.
Tip: add this page to your home screen so the timer is easy to find again.To keep it handy: tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.
Still not fixed after a day?
If the sound is still muffled after the phone dried for a day, the speaker may need service. Check the options in this order.
Planned signal from our code. During a session, the tool shows the frequency it is playing. How we measured →
We show what we play
The page shows the planned frequency and the value measured in its own signal.
How we measuredPulses with pauses
Apple Watch also clears water with a series of tones. Apple does not publish its design.
Does it work?
Tutorial
How to use it, step by step
A 3-minute explainer: the safety check, how to set up the phone, what the tone plays, and what to do after.
What this tone does and does not do
- In a dye test for The Verge, iFixit saw a low tone push droplets out of the speaker of four phones. The burst did not last long. Most water came out at the start.
- Apple Watch uses the same idea. It plays a series of tones to clear its speaker after a swim. Apple does not publish the frequency.
- It does not dry the charging port, the SIM tray or the inside of the phone.
- It does not repair water damage or corrosion.
- It does not remove dust. For dust and lint, Apple recommends a soft, dry brush.
How the water eject sound session works
- 1
Cycle
10 short pulses that step from 150 Hz up to 300 Hz. Each pulse lasts 1.5 seconds.
- 2
Pause
Wipe the speaker grille with a dry cloth. Wait 12 seconds. Then the next cycle starts.
- 3
Listen check
Optional. A short rising sweep before and after, about 10 seconds in total.
Three cycles take about two minutes in total.
Why pulses and not one long tone? Apple Watch also clears water with a series of tones. Apple does not publish its design, so we use short pulses with pauses and you wipe the grille between cycles. Why a range and not one number? The often-quoted 165 Hz comes from one forum post about an iPhone 7, reported by BGR in December 2016. Its author suggested changing the tone a little. No published measurement shows that one frequency is best.
How the water eject sound works
A phone speaker has a thin diaphragm, also called the speaker membrane. The diaphragm moves back and forth and pushes air. This vibration makes a sound wave. In Apple's patent, the diaphragm is aligned with the speaker mesh behind the speaker grille. The pores of the mesh let water move out. Sources: 5
Trapped water can block the mesh and leave the sound muffled. Xiaomi says liquid can block the dust-proof mesh and reduce volume. The water stays in the speaker openings as small water droplets, and surface tension holds each droplet in place. Physics research shows that vibration can detach droplets. The best frequency depends on the size of the droplet and on the surface. No paper tests a phone speaker. Sources: 1311
A micro-speaker has a resonance of about 450 to 900 Hz. Its maximum linear excursion is about 0.3 mm. A Bose research director says the lowest tone a speaker can play, at its loudest level, makes the most air motion. This is expert opinion, not a measurement. This is why volume matters. Sources: 104
iFixit says the Apple Watch Series 2 speaker is designed to fill with water, then vibrate to pump the water out. Samsung says speaker vibration during a call can remove moisture from the speaker mesh. This is water removal for the speaker only. The tone on this page works in the browser on an iPhone and on an Android phone. Turn Bluetooth off. If Bluetooth stays on, the sound can play in headphones or a car, not in the phone speaker. Sources: 912
The tone on this page is a sine wave. A sine wave has one clean frequency. The voice coil moves the speaker diaphragm, and the diaphragm makes one oscillation for each wave. Each wave pushes on the water droplets in the openings. This can push out water at the start of the session. The voice coil gets warm when the speaker works hard. A smart amplifier estimates the voice-coil temperature and reduces the signal when it is needed. After the session, airflow helps water removal. Apple advises a dry area with some airflow. Sources: 71
A device speaker has a few speaker components: the diaphragm, the voice coil and the mesh. Speaker design sets the resonance. A speaker tool like this page can only move the diaphragm and make sound waves. Water ejection by sound works on the speaker only. The tone cannot eject water from the charging port. To dry the rest of the device, use airflow. Sources: 109
When to use it
- After a splash at the sink.
- After rain on the phone.
- When the sound is muffled and the phone works normally.
General advice: if the phone was under water, read the wet phone first aid steps first.
Common speaker problems after water
After water exposure, water inside the speaker can change the sound quality. A speaker after water exposure often sounds dull or quiet. These are the usual signs of speaker issues.
- Muffled sound. Water can block the mesh and make the sound dull. Xiaomi says liquid can block the dust-proof mesh.
- Low volume. A blocked mesh reduces volume. Apple says water in the port can degrade speaker or microphone performance until it evaporates.
- Distortion or crackling. General advice: these signs can mean water damage to the speaker. Stop the tone and run the speaker check.
- No sound. The cause may not be water. Use the problem finder.
Not sure which one you have? Try the speaker problem finder or the speaker check. Both run in your browser.
Questions
Is the tone safe for my speaker?
Phones use smart amplifiers. They estimate how far the speaker moves and how hot its coil gets, and they reduce the signal to protect the speaker. Stop if the phone gets hot or the sound distorts.
Is it safe for my hearing?
Phone speakers reach about 70 to 77 dBA at full volume (DXOMARK). Sessions are short and have pauses. Hold the phone away from your ear. Stop if you hear ringing or feel pain.
Does it work with the iPhone silent switch on?
The page asks iOS for normal playback mode, which should ignore the silent switch on iOS 17 and later. If you hear nothing, use 'No sound?' during the session.
Why does this page show two frequencies?
'Playing now' is the frequency in the schedule. 'In the signal sent' is measured from the audio the page generates. One widely copied cleaner file we measured plays a different signal. Many sites repeat the 165 Hz figure without data. We show both so you can see it.
Should I put my phone in rice?
No. Apple and iFixit both say rice does not help. Use moving air at room temperature. Do not use heat or compressed air.
How long should I play the water eject sound?
One session takes about 2 minutes. It has 3 cycles with a short pause between them. If the speaker is still muffled, you can run up to two more sessions. Then let the phone dry.
What if the sound does not remove the water?
Some water may sit deeper than the tone can reach. Let the phone dry in moving air at room temperature. Read the wet phone first aid steps. If the speaker stays muffled or silent, use the problem finder.
Can it dry the whole phone?
No. A low tone can push droplets out of the speaker grille. It does not dry the phone. It does not dry the charging port, the SIM tray or the inside of the phone.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
The page runs in the browser on both. On an iPhone with the silent switch on, see 'No sound?' during the session. Device testing is not finished, so we do not claim results for specific phones.
Does it remove dust or lint?
No. A speaker cleaner sound can remove water droplets. We found no evidence that a tone removes dust or lint from the mesh. Water and dust need different steps. To clean the speaker, Apple recommends a small, soft, dry, non-metallic brush. Do not use compressed air. Dust guide: speaker cleaning
Should I remove headphones or turn off Bluetooth?
Yes. Unplug wired headphones and turn Bluetooth off. If a Bluetooth device stays connected, the speaker sound moves to that device.
Can the tone damage the microphone or the speaker?
Smart amplifiers reduce the signal to protect the speaker. They estimate how far the diaphragm moves and how hot the voice coil gets. Stop if the device gets hot or the sound distorts. Keep the device away from your ear. The tone plays through the speaker. It does not clean the microphone. Test the microphone
Is this the same as other speaker cleaner or fix my speaker sites?
No. Many such sites play a fixed audio file. This page generates the tone in the browser and shows its frequency. Sites use different sound frequencies, and we measured them. How we measured
What if the speaker still sounds muffled?
The tone can vibrate the speaker and help eject trapped water. It can push water droplets out of the grille. It only moves water from the speaker. Some water can stay inside the speaker. If the speaker still sounds muffled after two sessions, stop the tone and let the phone dry in airflow. Apple says water in the port can degrade speaker or microphone performance until it completely evaporates. General advice: if the sound does not return after a full day, ask the maker or a repair shop.
Is it water or dust in the speaker?
If you dropped your phone in water, follow the first aid steps first: power off, no cable, airflow. If the phone did not get wet, the muffled sound may come from dust or lint. The tone does not remove them. Dust guide: speaker cleaning
Sources
- Apple: If you see a liquid-detection alert on your iPhone
- Apple: About splash, water, and dust resistance of iPhone 7 and later
- Apple: iPhone troubleshooting sound issues (soft brush for the speaker)
- The Verge, Aug 2024: Does the YouTube water-removal sound work? (iFixit dye test)
- Apple patent US10595107: liquid expulsion with a series of tones
- BGR: origin of the 165 Hz figure (2016 iPhone 7 post)
- Texas Instruments SLAAE48: smart amplifier speaker protection
- WHO-ITU: Global standard for safe listening devices
- iFixit: Apple Watch Series 2 teardown, step 12 (speaker fills with water, then vibrates)
- Knowles: 11x15 mm smartphone micro-speaker datasheet (resonance and excursion)
- Wang et al. 2019, Journal of Fluid Mechanics: water drops on vertically vibrating surfaces
- Samsung Singapore: What to do when a Samsung mobile is exposed to water
- Xiaomi KA-484747: Why does liquid exposure lead to speaker failure