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How to get water out of AirPods without damaging them
Getting water inside your AirPods doesn’t have to be the end of them. If you work quickly, you might be able to save them. Here’s what you need to do to salvage your buds.
Read more: Apple AirPods Pro review: Third time really is the charm
QUICK ANSWER
You must work quickly. First, dry the outside of the buds with a soft, clean cloth and gently shake the buds to remove water. Next, install the Water Eject Siri Shortcut on an iOS device and use it to get more water out of the buds. Finally, cover your AirPods in a desiccant (water-absorbing substance) like silica gel packs for at least 24 hours.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
Step 1: Dry the outside of your AirPods
If your AirPods end up soaked, you should first dry them off as thoroughly as you can. Find a soft, clean, and dry cloth, then thoroughly dry the body of the AirPods, taking care to get into any nooks and crannies. You can gently shake the earbuds to dislodge more water as well. Do this as soon as possible after the buds get wet. Waiting risks permanent damage to your AirPods.
Step 2: Get the water out of your AirPods’ interior
Once the AirPods are visibly dry on the outside, it’s time to get as much water as possible from the interior. This can be risky because it involves turning the buds on. So, be sure you’ve shaken as much as possible out of them in step one. First, ensure your AirPods are connected to your iOS device. Once that’s done, you’ll have to follow these steps to install the Water Eject Siri Shortcut:
- On that iOS device, open a web browser to the Shortcuts Gallery page for Water Eject.
- Tap Get Shortcut.
- Select Add Shortcut on the next page.
- In the Shortcuts app, select Water Eject.
- In the menu that appears, choose Begin Water Ejection.
A unique tone will then play for about 15 seconds; a message will pop up once that’s finished. Keep doing these steps over and over until no more water ejects from your AirPods.
Step 3: Desiccate your AirPods
The old bit of folk wisdom about leaving your wet phone in rice has some truth because you’re using the rice as a desiccant. Basically, a desiccant is something that readily absorbs water. But do not use rice, as its starch can cause more problems. Instead, you should use silica gel packs or another moisture absorber specifically for this purpose. You probably know silica gel packs as those little bags that come with all sorts of things and are labeled “Silica Gel. Do not eat.”
Do this step only after doing one and two because you’re trying to remove residual water with this process, not soak up the bulk of it. You can find silica gel packs online and other moisture absorbers at some big box retailers. Place your AirPods inside a container filled with the desiccant and ensure they’re covered on all sides, including the top and bottom. Leave them there for at least 24 hours.
Read more: Waterproof tech: Everything you need to know about IP and ATM ratings
FAQs
While no model of AirPods can survive immersion, the AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd generation) have IPX4 ratings, which basically means they can withstand brief water sprays, but not a dunk into a pool nor extended contact with running water. Additionally, the MagSafe case for the AirPods (3rd generation) is water-resistant.
No. In fact, do not do this. The heat from a hair dryer can damage your AirPods. Similarly, do not attempt to place your AirPods in an oven, toaster, or microwave to dry them out, and don’t place them on a radiator or heat vent.
Not long. If your AirPods get wet, start immediately and work quickly to ensure the best possible chance you can save them.
Water damage is not part of the one-year warranty that comes with your AirPods. An AppleCare+ subscription gives you a reduced service fee for fixing it, but you’ll use up an incident slot.
We have a complete guide to ordering replacement AirPods, but the short answer is only the AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd generation) are available from Apple. If you want to replace other models, you’ll have to use a third-party service such as therightpod.com.