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Dropped your Airpods in water Here's what to do to save them!

Dropped your Airpods in water? Here’s what to do to save them!

Water and electronics don’t mix, which stands true for your AirPods! In case you’ve dropped your nifty iOS wireless earbuds in liquid, don’t panic, as there are timely hacks to get them back in action. 

Fix dropped AirPods in water by shaking off any visible moisture from the device. Also, dry them naturally, leave them in a warm area with a fan, use desiccant packets, or use the Eject Water shortcut to remove the liquid.

In this post, we’ll walk you through seven proven hacks to salvage your AirPods after they’ve come in contact with water or even too much sweat. Don’t worry; this guide is as user-friendly as you want and should quickly get you out of trouble. 

FIX 1. Shake your AirPods to remove moisture.

Difficulty Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps1
Time to Perform Fix10 to 40 seconds
Things NeededAny AirPods modelAirPods charging case

Before you let your emotions get to you, be warned. Some AirPods models are sweat and water-resistant, which should give you some level of protection—but they are not sweatproof or waterproof. 

This stands true for Gen 1 and 2 AirPods Pro. Also, this applies to Gen 3 AirPods, MagSafe Charging Case for Gen 3 AirPods, MagSafe Charging Case for Gen 2 AirPods Pro, and Lightning Charging Case for Gen 3 AirPods.

As they’re waterproof and sweatproof, AirPods are still prone to water damage from liquids entering their openings. As such, it’s advisable to shake off any visible moisture so they don’t fester and damage components inside.

This must be the first thing you must do as soon as your AirPods come in contact with any liquid or moisture. The faster you can react and perform this action, the more likely you can prevent the water damage on your AirPods from being fatal.

Dropped AirPods in shallow water can easily save from unrepairable damage using this method. However, if your AirPods were dropped in deeper water or for a considerable amount of time, shaking them off might be counterproductive.

Doing so will cause the liquid to spread more inside, causing more damage. 

FIX 1. Shake your AirPods to remove moisture.

In such cases, you might instead do more harm than good to your AirPods by shaking them off. This calls for a judgment call for you in determining whether shaking the water off would be a good idea.

FIX 2. Dry your AirPods immediately.

Difficulty Moderate ●●●○○
Number of Steps1
Time to Perform Fix30 minutes to a day
Things NeededAny AirPods modelAirPods charging case

Drying your AirPods is the safest and most recommended action to take if they ever get in contact with any body of water or moisture. Even Apple recommends such a method in case users have dropped AirPods in water sources by accident.

In this case, air drying can be the most effective way to remove liquids from your AirPods without causing further damage to their components. Sometimes, allowing wet electronic devices to dry naturally without risky intervention is better.

The key to air drying your wet AirPods is to leave them in an area with proper ventilation to facilitate good airflow. Please note that you also have to ensure the area is dry to prevent the possibility of moisture from entering your AirPods again.

FIX 2. Dry your AirPods immediately.

In this regard, leave your AirPods to dry for 30 minutes to a day to ensure that all the moisture will be removed entirely. We don’t recommend using your AirPods when there’s a bit of liquid or moisture left, as it can cause a short circuit.

You can also keep drying your AirPods for up to 2 days to ensure you’ve eliminated all of the liquid or moisture inside. Doing so is the safest way to ensure you won’t short-circuit your AirPods due to any leftover moisture.

FIX 3. Tip your AirPods and charging case upside down. 

Difficulty Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps1
Time to Perform Fix10 seconds
Things NeededAny AirPods modelAirPods charging case

Aside from shaking off the moisture from your AirPods dropped in water, you can also tip them to help remove the liquid that got inside faster. Do this to the charging case as it drips any water or moisture inside the opening.

FIX 3. Tip your AirPods and charging case upside down. 
WARNING: Do not put your AirPods inside their charging case when they’re wet to avoid spreading the moisture further. After all, you also want to dry your charging case since it’s as vulnerable to water damage.

Also, this method is much safer for your AirPods since it doesn’t spread the liquid inside as the shaking method does. Do this while air-drying your AirPods, as both ways work well together to make the drying process more natural.

Anything that can help increase the speed of the dying process without risking further internal damage is beneficial for your AirPods. If anything, we recommend performing the fixes in this guide together if you can to better dry your AirPods.

FIX 4. Use desiccant packets.

Difficulty Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps1
Time to Perform Fix10 seconds
Things NeededAny AirPods modelAirPods charging caseSome desiccant packets

Another way to facilitate faster and more efficient drying is by using desiccant packets on your wet AirPods. It’s recommended if you think your AirPods have dropped in water for a considerable amount of time, absorbing a lot of moisture.

As their name suggests, these packets contain desiccant substances that help induce dryness around them. These solid substances are used in these packets to absorb moisture around them and keep surrounding objects dry.

FIX 4. Use desiccant packets.

It’s why you see these desiccant packets pre-packed with most products and parcels to protect from unwanted moisture. These packets are also handy for helping foodstuffs and medicines keep their dryness, which improves their longevity.

For this reason, we highly recommend surrounding your wet AirPods and charging case with some desiccant packets. Doing so will help speed up the drying process since the desiccant packets will help absorb most of the moisture from your AirPods.

You can check your shoe or package boxes for some leftover desiccant packets you can use on your AirPods. If you don’t have some lying around, you can buy them at your local hardware stores and hypermarkets such as Walmart and Home Depot.

FIX 5. Place the AirPods under a fan or a warm area.

Difficulty Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps1
Time to Perform Fix10 seconds
Things NeededAny AirPods modelAirPods charging caseA fanA dry and warm area

Warmer areas have less humidity, which makes them an excellent drying spot if you have some AirPods dropped in water. As such, we recommend putting your wet AirPods and charging case in a dry and warm area to let them dry out much better.

You can also place a fan nearby so it can help facilitate good airflow, which will improve the speed of drying your AirPods and charging case. It’s good if you’re in a place without proper ventilation since you can just make the air flow with a fan.

FIX 5. Place the AirPods under a fan or a warm area.

Alternatively, you can also put your AirPods near heat sources such as a fireplace since the ambient temperature is higher, which makes it less humid. However, you must ensure not to put them too close as too much heat harms your AirPods.

WARNING: Never put your wet AirPods and charging case under the sun when drying them. Prolonged contact with heat sources can damage the Li-ion batteries inside your AirPods, resulting in a fire or explosion.

If possible, avoid heat sources unless you want to dry your AirPods much faster. If you insist, we suggest keeping an eye on your AirPods as you’re drying them so you can take them away when their temperature reaches 32 °C.

FIX 6. Use apps to eject water from the AirPods.

Apple has added a way to eject water from AirPods dropped in water using the Siri shortcuts app on your iPhone. This can be done by adding the Water Eject shortcut on your iPhone’s Siri shortcuts app.

Water Eject uses high-frequency audio to discharge water. Needless to say, this nifty feature by Apple has become a smartphone saver for many iOS fans all over the world. 

Indeed, it’s the perfect tool for removing the liquid that got through the openings of your AirPods after it was submerged in water. With this shortcut, you don’t need to shake your AirPods yourself and risk spreading the moisture inside their components.

To start this process, you must perform some preparatory steps, such as disabling your AirPods’ Automatic Ear Detection feature. For AirPods Pro users, the silicon tips on your device must be removed before ejecting the water.

Please note that wearing your wet AirPods during the water ejection process is not advisable. This process can be dangerous as the high-frequency audio can cause ear damage while the ejected water can result in ear infections.

Use your iPhone to disable Automatic Ear Detection on the AirPods.

Difficulty Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps5
Time to Perform Fix10 seconds
Things NeededAn iPhoneAn AirPod charging case
Step 1:  Put the AirPods inside their charging case with an open lid.

Step 2: Get your iPhone and open Settings.

Step 3: Click Bluetooth and open its Bluetooth menu.

Step 4: Search for your AirPods on the list and click the “more info” icon (i) on its side.

Step 5: Click the AirPods Automatic Ear Detection switch to turn it off.

Use the Siri shortcut to eject water from your wet AirPods.

Difficulty Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps23
Time to Perform Fix2 minutes
Things NeededAny AirPods modelAirPods charging caseAn iPhoneA working internet connection
Step 1: Get your iPhone and open the Shortcuts app.

Step 2: Click the + button to add a new shortcut.

Step 3: Click Add Action to continue.

Step 4: Click Media.

Step 5: Click Record Audio.

Step 6: Click Next to enter any name for the recording.

Step 7: Click Done after naming the recording shortcut and select it from the shortcuts menu to activate it.

Step 8: Tap the screen to start recording and tap again to stop it.



Note: The content and length of the recording aren’t important since we’re only doing this to enable untrusted shortcuts from your iPhone’s settings menu.
Step 9: Return to the iPhone home screen and open its Settings.

Step 10: Scroll down and open the Shortcuts settings.

Step 11: Click the Allow Untrusted Shortcuts switch to turn it on.

Step 12: Click Allow to confirm the action.

Step 13: Enter your passcode and click Done to continue.

Step 14: Return to the iPhone home screen and open the Safari app.

Step 15: Search for the water eject shortcut.

Step 16: Select the result from shortcutsgallery.com.

Step 17: Click the Get Shortcut button.

Step 18: Wait until you’re redirected to the Shortcuts app and scroll down to click Add Untrusted Shortcut.

Step 19: Click My Shortcuts once Water Eject is added.

Step 20: Click the Water Eject shortcut.

Step 21: Use your fingers to cover the sensors on both sides of your AirPods.

Step 22: Click Begin Water Ejection to play the high-frequency audio on your AirPods.

Step 23: Repeat the water ejection process using the shortcut until you’re satisfied with the liquid you’ve eliminated from your AirPods.

FIX 7. Check your AirPods’ sound quality.

Difficulty Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps1
Time to Perform Fix10 to 20 seconds
Things NeededAny AirPods modeliPhone

Testing the sound quality of your AirPods is essential after performing the abovementioned methods to dry them after they got wet. Doing so is your only way to confirm if they’re still working or have suffered a lot from the water damage.

This action can be done by connecting your AirPods to your iPhone and wearing them on your ears so you can listen to some audio. From there, listen carefully to the audio you’re playing to determine if the sound quality differs from before.

With this, you can decide to keep using your AirPods or if you need to get a replacement instead. However, without Apple Limited Warranty or AppleCare+ coverage, you’ll need to pay an out-of-warranty fee to get your AirPods replacement.

Alternatively, you can send your AirPods to an Apple service so they can check if they can be repaired. You can book an appointment with your local Apple store or service center by visiting the official Apple repair page.

FAQs about AirPods Dropped Into Water

Are AirPods waterproof?

Some AirPods models are water-resistant, but all of them are not waterproof or sweatproof. Most older AirPods models are neither resistant nor protected from sweat or water, so they should be kept from moisture.

Only select AirPods devices are resistant to sweat and water. These are the following: 

  • Gen 1 and 2 AirPods Pro
  • Gen 3 AirPods
  • MagSafe Charging Case for Gen 3 AirPods
  • MagSafe Charging Case for Gen 2 AirPods Pro
  • Lightning Charging Case for Gen 3 AirPods.

Will water dry out of my AirPods?

Water will dry from your AirPods if you leave them in a dry place with proper ventilation or beside a fan. Your AirPods will eventually dry out all of their moisture after a few minutes up to a day, depending on how much liquid is inside.

Unfortunately, drying out your AirPods doesn’t guarantee they will continue working afterward. Sometimes, the water damage is too great that your AirPods will be left unrepairable.

Is it okay to put my AirPods in rice if they get wet?

Don’t put your AirPods in rice if they ever get wet, as it’s not a reliable way to dry them out. This method is a myth; letting your AirPods air dry naturally is far more efficient and safer than putting them inside a sack or jar of rice.

Plus, rice has small starchy particles that can get inside the openings of your AirPods, which can do more harm than good. As such, using the age-old rice method is not recommended, even by Apple.

How can I tell if my AirPods suffered from water damage?

Distorted and terrible sound quality are the most common signs of water damage on your AirPods. In some extreme cases, your AirPods might not even work or connect to your iOS devices at all.

For this reason, it’s always a good idea to test your AirPods after they’ve been dried to ensure they’re in working condition. Otherwise, you might need to send them in for repairs or get a new pair of AirPods instead.


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