How to Use Water Eject, Plus Other Tips to Dry Out a Wet iPhone

Most newer iPhones are water resistant, but they aren’t fully waterproof. Whether you played music in the sauna or dropped your phone into the ocean, somehow, water found its way inside your device. Don’t worry — if you have an iPhone 7 or later, you can use the handy Water Eject feature, which makes your phone vibrate at a certain frequency, to spit the water out. Here’s how to do it. 

Download Water Eject for Your iPhone

First things first — if you don’t have Water Eject on your device, you’ll need to install it in the Shortcuts section on your iPhone. Keep in mind that it isn’t an official iPhone shortcut, so you’ll have to download it from a third-party site. Follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down to Shortcuts.
3. Next, tap on Allow Untrusted Shortcuts.
4. Enter your passcode. 
5. Open the Safari browser.
6. Search for “water eject shortcut iPhone.” 
7. From shortcutsgallery.com, tap Get Shortcut.
8. The shortcut should open in the Shortcuts app on your phone. Scroll down and choose Add Untrusted Shortcut. 

You should now have the Water Eject shortcut installed on your iPhone. 

Use Water Eject

There are several ways to use Water Eject on your iPhone. The first is through the Shortcuts menu:

1. Open Shortcuts.
2. Tap on Water Eject. 
3. Select Begin Water Ejection. 

Your phone should play a tone that causes it to vibrate, forcing the water out of the speaker holes. You may have to use Water Eject several times to get all the water out. 

Another way to activate Water Eject on your iPhone is through Siri. Simply say, “Hey, Siri, run Water Eject” to activate the feature. You can do it as many times as you need to for the water to stop dripping out. 

Other Ways to Remove Water From an iPhone

Time is of the essence if your phone gets wet. Here are nine other ways to help dry it out besides using Water Eject: 

1. Take Your Phone Out of the Water

This should go without saying, but as soon as you notice your phone is wet, get it out of the water. The faster you do this, the better the odds your phone will survive intact.

2. Turn off Your Phone

Shut your phone down and remove its protective case so you can take it apart. 

3. Open the Back of the Phone

Remove the SIM card, battery and microSD card if your phone has one. 

4. Dab Your Phone Dry

With a paper towel or microfiber cloth, gently pat your phone as dry as possible. Try not to rub the phone hard because you could accidentally push more water into it. You should also avoid shaking the phone or heating it with a blow dryer, which could damage it further. 

5. Spray Compressed Air Into the Phone

If you have a compressed air canister, use it to blow moisture out of your phone. Use short bursts of air to force the water out without damaging your iPhone’s internal components. 

6. Use Silica Gel Packets

You can often find these small packets in containers of preserved food — like beef jerky or dried fruit — bearing a label warning you not to eat them. Similar to salt and pepper packets, they contain tiny silica particles that act as a desiccant to keep food dry. If you happen to have some handy, seal your phone in a Ziploc bag with them to suck the moisture out. 

7. Use Silica Cat Litter

Don’t worry if you don’t have a pile of silica gel packets at your disposal — honestly, who does? A much more common household item is cat litter made from silica, also called crystal cat litter. Bury your open phone and its detached battery in the cat litter for 48 to 72 hours. 

8. Try Instant Rice, Couscous or Oatmeal

If you can’t find cat litter or silica packets, another technique is to bury your phone in a bowl of instant oatmeal, couscous or rice. It has to be the instant variety because it soaks up liquid much faster than the regular kind. Avoid using foods with strong seasoning or added sugars. Additionally, look for varieties with larger-cut pieces that won’t clog your phone’s ports. 

9. Keep a Fan Running

If you don’t have any desiccants available, another option is to place your phone on a dry towel or paper towel next to a running fan. Keep the back of your phone open and place the battery, SIM card and microSD card next to it. Allow the fan to blow cool air over everything for 48 to 72 hours. 

Next Steps

After your phone has had a chance to dry thoroughly, reassemble it and let it charge. Do not charge it if there’s an alert on the screen telling you the phone detected liquid in the Lightning connector. If you see that message, let your phone dry out further before trying to plug it in. Charging your phone while wet could damage it. 

If you followed all the above steps and still cannot get your phone to work, take it to a professional to see if they can repair it. They may need to replace a broken part or you might need to buy a new phone altogether. Some iPhones are able to withstand being briefly submerged in water, but most cannot, and it’s still best to keep your phone dry. 

Tips for Preventing Water Damage

Accidents happen, but there are also several ways to help prevent your phone from getting wet, including:

• Using your phone in a humid room, such as the bathroom while you’re taking a shower
• Using your phone in very hot, humid or rainy weather
• Disassembling your phone, including removing screws

It’s best to only operate your phone between 32°F and 95°F and in dry conditions. If you want to play music in the bathroom while you shower, use a speaker rather than your phone.

Protecting Your Phone From Water

Sometimes your phone will get wet despite your best efforts. When that happens, use the Water Eject feature on an iPhone 7 or later to help spit some of the water out, then follow the instructions to further dry out your phone. Hopefully, it should start working again in no time.