# How do I get water out of my iPhone speaker?

Water in the speaker grille often clears if you point the speaker down, wipe the outside, and leave the iPhone in a dry place with airflow. A low tone can help shake loose drops that are sitting in the grille, but it will not dry the inside of the phone or the charging port.

By Aivana LLC. Updated 3 November 2026.

## What to do

Do Apple's drying steps before you play any sound. A tone is an extra for drops still in the grille, not a way to dry a soaked phone.

1. **Unplug it and do not charge with a cable yet.** Unplug every cable. Apple says not to charge a wet iPhone with a cable until it is dry, and to allow at least five hours after liquid exposure. If you use a wireless charger, dry the back of the phone first.
2. **Tap out the excess.** Tap the iPhone gently against your hand with the connector facing down, the way Apple describes. Then wipe the outside with a soft, lint-free cloth.
3. **Give the grille time, speaker down.** Set the phone so the speaker grille faces down on a dry cloth, in a room with airflow. A fan blowing cool air can help the connector dry. Water can take hours to leave. Apple says a liquid alert can persist up to 24 hours.
4. **Then try a short tone, if the grille still sounds wet.** Disconnect Bluetooth headphones so the sound comes from the phone. Play a low tone at a volume you can hear clearly, with the grille aimed down, for a short run. Stop if the speaker rattles, distorts, or the phone gets warm. Wipe off any drops that appear.
5. **Stop if a day of drying changes nothing.** If the speaker is still muffled after the phone has had about a day in a dry place, the speaker may be damaged. A louder tone will not repair it.

## What not to do

- Do not put the iPhone in rice. Apple says rice particles can get inside and damage the phone.
- Do not use a hair dryer, a heater, or any other external heat source.
- Do not use compressed air.
- Do not push a cotton swab, a paper towel, or anything else into the connector.

If the phone will not charge after it has dried, or the speaker is still dead after a day, contact Apple or a repair shop. Liquid damage is not covered by Apple's warranty. Speaker Cleaner cannot fix that.

## Where Speaker Cleaner helps

Speaker Cleaner plays a tone through the iPhone speaker to help shake water or dust out of the grille. Use it after the drying steps, not instead of them. It does not clear a liquid-detected alert in the connector.

## Other ways

### Apple's drying steps alone

Waiting, airflow, and the connector facing down are the steps Apple actually publishes. They are enough for a lot of splashes.

### Service, if it stays broken

A repair is the right next step when sound or charging is still wrong after the phone is dry. An app is not a repair.

## Questions

### Will a tone push water out of the charging port?

No. The tone moves the speaker. The port needs time and airflow, and you should not poke anything into it.

### How long should I wait before a wired charge?

Apple says at least five hours after the phone has been in liquid, and longer if a liquid-detection alert is still on. That alert can take up to a day to clear.

### Is rice faster?

No. Apple tells you not to use rice. The particles can cause more damage, and it does not dry the phone in a useful way.

### Can I use this on earbuds?

No. Dry earbuds the way their maker says. A phone speaker tone is for the phone's speaker grille.

## Sources

- Apple Support: If your iPhone gets wet. https://support.apple.com/en-us/108039
- Apple Support: If you see a liquid-detection alert. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102643

## Related guides

- [iPhone dropped in water, what should I do first?](https://aivanaapps.com/apps/speaker-cleaner/guides/iphone-dropped-in-water/)
- [Why does my speaker sound muffled after getting wet?](https://aivanaapps.com/apps/speaker-cleaner/guides/speaker-muffled-after-water/)
- [What frequency ejects water from a phone speaker?](https://aivanaapps.com/apps/speaker-cleaner/guides/water-eject-frequency/)

App: https://aivanaapps.com/apps/speaker-cleaner/
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6761335499