Why 165 Hz? How water eject tones work
A low tone makes the speaker diaphragm move farther with each vibration, which may push water near the speaker opening out through the grille. Wick’s Standard mode uses a constant 165 Hz tone, low enough to move air and high enough for a phone speaker to play. It cannot reach water inside the phone.
How a water eject tone works
A speaker makes sound by moving a thin diaphragm back and forth. When water sits on the speaker grille or in the small opening in front of the diaphragm, it can muffle the sound. A water eject tone plays through that same speaker. Each vibration pushes air against the water, and the idea is that repeated pushes can nudge droplets near the opening out through the grille, where they can drip or be wiped away.
Why a low frequency?
For the same loudness, a speaker diaphragm has to move farther to play a low note than a high one. More movement means more air pushed with each cycle, which is why water eject tones are low. But a phone speaker is tiny and cannot play very deep bass at a useful level. A water eject tone has to balance the two: low enough to move the diaphragm a long way, high enough that the small speaker can still play it.
Why 165 Hz in Wick
Wick’s Standard mode plays a constant 165 Hz tone. It sits in that low range that a phone speaker can still reproduce, and it is the tone Wick uses for every free Clean & measure: 8 seconds on the free quick clean, 12 seconds plus Deep Purge with Wick Full. We do not claim 165 Hz is a proven best frequency. Water, speakers and cases differ, so Wick also offers Deep Purge, which sweeps from 100 to 300 Hz, and Earbud Mode, a 200–400 Hz pattern for connected wireless earbuds, with Wick Full.
What 165 Hz can’t do
A tone can only act on water it can push: water near the speaker opening. It cannot reach water that has got inside the phone, dry a wet charging port, or repair a speaker that has been damaged. That is why Wick measures your speaker before and after each clean and shows both readings, even when nothing changed. The readings depend on background noise and how you hold the phone, so listen for yourself too.
Tips for a better run
- Dry the phone first and check that sound is coming from the built-in speaker, not earbuds.
- Hold the phone with the speaker facing down so water can drip out.
- Use a volume that sounds clean. Stop if you hear crackling or distortion.
- Run it two or three times, then let the phone rest for a few minutes.
What Wick cannot do: it cannot repair physical damage, remove water from inside the phone, or diagnose whether a speaker is safe to use. Results vary. Avoid repeated cleaning if the phone seems damaged or still wet inside.