The water eject shortcut:
what it can and can't do.

What the water eject shortcut is

The Water Eject shortcut people share online is made by other users, not by Apple. You add it to the Shortcuts app from a link and run it there, and it plays a low tone through the speaker. Only add shortcuts from a source you trust. iPhone has no water eject setting of its own, and Apple's support pages do not mention tones, so treat one as an extra after Apple's drying steps.

What a water eject tone does

A water eject tone is a low sound played loudly through the iPhone's own speaker. The sound makes the speaker move, and that movement can shake droplets out of the grille.

A tone only reaches the speaker opening. It does not dry the charging port or the inside of the iPhone, and it cannot repair a speaker that liquid has damaged.

Phone Cleaner's Speaker cleaner works the same way without a Shortcut. It turns the volume up for the clean and puts it back afterwards, and it needs the iPhone's own speaker, so disconnect AirPods and Bluetooth speakers first. Eject water runs for 45 seconds.

1. Remove the case and place the iPhone speaker-down on a towel.
2. Open Speaker cleaner on the Tools tab, choose Eject water and tap Start.
3. Do not hold the iPhone to your ear while it plays.
4. Run it again if the sound is still muffled.

Step 1 of 4Phone Cleaner's Speaker cleaner is on the Tools tab. Tap Tools.

Step 2 of 4Tap Speaker cleaner.

Step 3 of 4Eject water is chosen: 45 seconds of low tones. Remove the case, place the iPhone speaker-down on a towel and tap Start.

Step 4 of 4The tones play in stages through the iPhone's own speaker; the movement can shake droplets out of the grille. Keep it away from your ear, and run it again if the sound is still muffled.

Dry the iPhone first: Apple's own steps

These steps are Apple's own advice for an iPhone that got wet. Water in the speaker opening can make sound muffled until it has evaporated, so most of the fix is patience.

1. Unplug all cables and accessories. Apple says not to charge until the iPhone is completely dry, and to allow at least 5 hours before charging with a cable.
2. Wipe the iPhone with a soft, lint-free cloth, such as a lens cloth.
3. Tap it gently against your hand with the Lightning or USB-C connector facing down, to remove excess liquid.
4. Place it speaker side down on a lint-free cloth and see if water drips out.
5. Leave it in a dry area with some airflow. A fan blowing cool air into the connector may help.

What not to do

Apple warns against drying an iPhone with an external heat source or compressed air, and against pushing a cotton swab or paper towel into the connector. It also says not to put the iPhone in a bag of rice: small particles of rice could damage it.

When to contact Apple

If the speaker still sounds muffled or distorted once the iPhone is completely dry, or the liquid-detection alert keeps coming back, contact Apple Support. No tone, Shortcut or app can fix a damaged speaker.