Water in earbuds or AirPods? Safe drying steps
Take the earbuds out of the case, wipe them with a soft lint-free cloth, and let them air-dry away from heat before charging or putting them back. Once dry, a low tone played through the earbuds may help clear water near the speaker mesh. If sound doesn’t recover, contact the maker.
Dry them first
- Take the earbuds out of the charging case and wipe them dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
- Keep them out of the case until they are fully dry. Wipe the case too if it got wet, and leave it open to dry.
- Let them air-dry. Avoid heat, hair dryers, compressed air, and pushing anything into the speaker mesh.
- Do not charge wet earbuds or a wet case.
Water resistance differs between earbud models, and no earbuds are waterproof. Check the maker’s guidance for your model; for Apple earbuds, see Apple’s AirPods support.
Check the sound
Once they are dry, connect the earbuds and play something familiar at a comfortable volume. If one side sounds quieter or muffled, the mesh may still hold water. Give them more drying time before trying anything else.
Can a tone help earbuds?
A low tone played through the earbud’s own driver may help move water that sits near its speaker mesh, the same idea as a water eject tone on a phone. Wick’s Earbud Mode plays a separate 200–400 Hz tone pattern through connected wireless earbuds. To use it, connect the earbuds to your phone, then switch to Earbud Mode. Earbud Mode is part of Wick Full, a one-time purchase. Keep the earbuds away from your ears while it plays, and use a moderate volume.
As with phones, results vary. A tone cannot remove water from inside an earbud, dry the charging contacts, or repair a damaged driver.
When to get help
If the sound is still muffled after the earbuds have fully dried, if one side stops working, or if charging behaves oddly, contact the manufacturer or Apple Support for AirPods. For a wet iPhone speaker instead, see the wet speaker guide.
Quick answers
Should I put wet earbuds in rice?
Air-drying is the simple option. Apple advises against rice for a wet iPhone, and the same caution makes sense for earbuds: small grains and starch dust can get into the speaker mesh.
Which earbuds does Earbud Mode work with?
Earbud Mode is designed for connected wireless earbuds: it plays its tone pattern through the earbuds that are currently connected to your iPhone. How much it helps varies by model and by where the water is.
Can I use the phone’s water eject tone on earbuds?
Not by holding them to the phone. A tone only moves water near the speaker that plays it, so earbuds need a tone played through their own drivers.
