Tuesday Tip: Use Water Eject if Your iPhone Gets Wet

Forget about rice! If you drop your iPhone in water, here’s a trick to help save your phone, and it works on AirPods too.

Many iPhone owners can relate to the pain of dropping their phone in water or spilling liquid on it. The go-to thought is to submerge it in a bowl of rice to dry it out. This is a myth! Putting your iPhone in rice might actually damage it because rice inhibits airflow, which can further damage the phone. Apple has a better option, as long as your phone is still responsive.

The Wet Eject feature emits a sound that vibrates the phone’s speakers to eject the potentially harmful droplets. Here’s how to set it up for free on your iPhone:

• Go to the Shortcuts app on your iPhone
• Go to Starter Shortcuts > Water Eject
• If you don’t have the Water Eject shortcut under your Starter Shortcuts, click the + and type Water Eject to add
• To launch, tap Start or Begin Water Ejection
• A tone will sound to eject the water
• After 15 seconds, a message will let you know the process is complete
• Siri users, simply say “Hey Siri, water eject” and it will activate the process

Water Eject will emit water from both the speaker at the bottom and earpiece at the top of the screen.

As long as you connect your AirPods to your iPhone, the headphones should expel moisture with the vibrations just like your iPhone.

Apple provides iPhones with a water and dust resistant rating, so it can survive in up to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes. This means the iPhone is water resistant, not waterproof. Even if the iPhone has been submerged for less than 30 minutes, water can persist in hidden nooks and crannies. Water Eject may not work if your phone has been submerged in water for too long. If water seeps into the hardware it can cause corrosion, which can make it impossible for the iPhone to run.

The next time your iPhone goes for an unexpected swim, no more rice! Use Water Eject!