Dropping your AirPods Pro in water can be traumatizing. You must certainly know that AirPods Pro don’t mesh well with water, just like any other electronics (unless they’re waterproof).
Even though AirPods Pro are water-resistant, they can withstand moisture only to a limited degree. So, dropping them in water might be a little too extreme for your poor AirPods Pro to handle.
Since you cannot turn back time, you better take care of the wet AirPods Pro before they breathe their last breath.
Aren’t AirPods Pro Supposed to Be Water-Resistant?
AirPods Pro are water-resistant. That means they are designed to handle a little splash of water here and there. But a dip in the pool or getting soaked from pouring rain can leave them ruined.
If you’re confused, we don’t blame you. The words water-resistant and water-proof are often used interchangeably, hence the confusion. To spell it out for you, water-resistant devices can withstand moisture up to a certain limit.
Water-proof devices, on the other, can resist excess moisture. But, the hard truth is that they all succumb to moisture after a point. The degree to which they can handle moisture is dependent on IP ratings.
IP Rating of AirPods Pro
IP rating, short for Ingress Protection, shows the resistance capacity of the electrical enclosure against intrusion and moisture. The first digit of the IP rating reveals the intrusion resisting capability while the second digit shows the effectiveness to resist moisture.
AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd generation) are graded with an IPX4 rating. This rating of IP enables the device to resist water splashes. But, anything beyond that will damage the AirPods Pro.
Home Remedies for Water Damaged AirPods Pro
If you dropped your Airpods Pro in water, you can take measures to prevent water damage. Here are a few home remedies that will help cure the damp AirPods Pro.
Wipe AirPods Completely Dry
Quickly dry the AirPods after retrieving them from the water. You might be tempted to use a blow dryer or a vacuum cleaner to dry the AirPods sooner. But, their warm air and high air pressure will do more harm than good.
You should use a soft and dry microfiber cloth to wipe the outer surface of AirPods. Here are some Apple-approved ways to dry the water-damaged AirPods.
- Take a dry and soft microfiber cloth to wipe the AirPods.
- Once completely wiped, gently pat the AirPods over a dry towel to take out the excess water.
- Then, keep them upside down and let them sit out in the open for a while.
Use a Fan To Speed the Drying Process
You may get impatient while waiting for your AirPods to dry. In that case, using a fan could help speed the process.
When your AirPods are drying, turn on the fan. This will increase the airflow in the room thus, helping them to dry sooner.
Put AirPods in a Bag of Absorbing Agent
Water-absorbing agents like Silica gel packets can come in handy when drying wet AirPods. These absorbing agents such as Zeolites and Calcium Sulfate are called desiccants. But, since Silica gel packets are more commonly found, you can use them.
While we’re on the topic of using desiccants, let’s address the use of rice for wet AirPods. Rice is often used to dry and don’t get us wrong, it works too. But, when it comes to AirPods, rice may not be a good idea because it can get stuck in your AirPods.
So, it’s better if you stick to silica gel packets. Here’s what you need to do with them.
- Take a bunch of silica gel packets.
- Put them inside a ziplock bag.
- Now, place the AirPods inside the bag.
Water Ejection Apps
There are water ejection apps that you can use to further remove the water from AirPods. For this, you will need to pair your AirPods with your iPhone and run the water ejection feature.
Once the app starts ejecting the water, the AirPods will start vibrating. The excess moisture will then start seeping out from the AirPods’ opening.
To show you how it works, here’s an example of using Siri Shortcuts to eject water out of AirPods Pro.
- Launch Settings on the iPhone.
- Scroll down and select Shortcuts.
- Next to Allow Untrusted Shortcuts, toggle the button to the right.
- If prompted, enter the Apple ID password.
- Then, get the Siri Shortcuts from this link.
- After installing the app on the iPhone, open Siri Shortcuts.
- Scroll down to select Water Eject.
- Once selected, the sound waves will pass through AirPods Pro, forcing the water to eject out of the AirPods.
Repair or Replace AirPods
If the suggested fixes didn’t work out, you should seek help from professionals. Visit the Apple outlet near you to see if you can get your AirPods repaired.
Regarding AppleCare+ for Headphones, it won’t cover the water-damaged AirPods for free replacement or repair. But, you can get them repaired at around $29 for each incident. Likewise, the out-of-warranty fee is around $89.
But, if your AirPods are gone for good, the only thing left to do is to replace them with the new ones.