How to get water out of AirPods — Apple's steps, then a tone

To get water out of AirPods, wipe them with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, tap any water out of AirPods Pro ear tips with the opening facing down, and let them dry for at least two hours before you wear them or put them in the case. Apple says not to use heat or compressed air.

Everything here comes from Apple’s support pages for AirPods Pro, AirPods 3, AirPods 4 and AirPods Max, checked on September 17, 2026. Below: how long each model needs, what a water eject tone can and can’t do, the charging case, other brands’ earbuds, and when wet AirPods need service.

How to get water out of AirPods

Getting water out of AirPods is mostly waiting. Apple’s routine for AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 and AirPods 4 is the same after sweat, a splash or any other liquid: wipe, remove water from the ear tips, and let them dry completely.

1. Step 1

   Wipe each AirPod dry

   Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth on the AirPods and the outside of the case.

2. Step 2

   Tap water out of the ear tips

   On AirPods Pro, hold the AirPod with the ear tip opening facing down and tap it on a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.

3. Step 3

   Wipe off anything that isn't water

   For soap, sunscreen, lotion or similar, wipe with a cloth slightly dampened with fresh water, then dry. Don't run AirPods under water.

4. Step 4

   Wait at least two hours

   Apple asks for AirPods to dry completely before you use them or place them in the charging case.

Apple’s AirPods Pro cleaning page (published February 2, 2026) adds that wet ear tips can be pulled off, wiped and reattached only once they are completely dry. The same page says not to clean AirPods with sharp objects or abrasive materials.

Heat and compressed air are out: Apple names both as things not to use on AirPods. Apple’s AirPods pages don’t mention rice at all, and for iPhone Apple warns that small rice particles can cause damage, which is why drying a phone without rice is the approach on this site too. If your phone went into the water with the AirPods, it needs its own first steps: see phone dropped in water.

AirPods Max are the exception. Apple says they are not waterproof or water resistant, and if they come in contact with liquid, wipe them down with a dry microfiber cloth and keep moisture out of every opening.

How long wet AirPods take to dry

Wet AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 and AirPods 4 need at least two hours to dry before use, according to Apple’s page on AirPods sweat and water resistance, published September 18, 2025. The same page says water resistance is not permanent, can diminish over time, and cannot be rechecked or resealed.

How careful to be depends on the model. The table puts Apple’s ratings next to its rule on submerging, so you can see what your pair was built for.

Apple’s water resistance page gives no rating for the first- and second-generation AirPods. For AirPods Max, Apple gives no drying time after a splash. The only wait on its AirPods Max cleaning page follows washing the cushions and headband: lay the AirPods Max flat to dry for at least a day before reattaching the cushions.

Water eject for AirPods

Water eject for AirPods is not an Apple feature. It means playing a low tone through the earbuds so the speaker membrane moves as much as possible and pushes droplets out of the mesh. SoundTowel has not tested the effect on AirPods, so treat it as an optional step after Apple’s drying routine: if the sound is still muffled after they dry, a low tone is worth a try, but it cannot dry the inside.

Apple Watch has a built-in version. Turning off Water Lock on the watch plays a series of tones to clear water from its speaker, according to Apple. That feature belongs to the watch and does nothing for AirPods, whose support pages describe wiping, cleaning and drying, not tones. For a phone speaker, use the water eject tone for a phone instead.

1. Step 1

   Dry them first

   Follow Apple's steps above and wait at least two hours. The tone is only for sound that stays muffled afterwards.

2. Step 2

   Decide where they rest

   Wear them, or lay them mesh-down on a lint-free cloth. For the cloth, turn off Automatic Ear Detection under your AirPods' name in Settings, or the sound plays from the phone.

3. Step 3

   Keep the volume low

   Start low and stay moderate: Apple warns that headphone audio too loud for too long can damage hearing. Unlike a phone speaker, earbuds should never get this tone at maximum volume.

4. Step 4

   Pick Both, Left or Right

   Send the tone to the AirPod that sounds muffled. 30 sec is enough for a first try.

5. Step 5

   Check, then switch settings back

   Play a voice note. If you turned off Automatic Ear Detection, turn it back on.

The water mode plays a steady 165 Hz tone, then a pulsing one (0.6 s on, 0.3 s off), then steady again, over 30 sec, 1 min or 2 min. If Automatic Ear Detection isn’t shown under your AirPods’ name in Settings, Apple says to tap Audio & Routing first.

If one AirPod still sounds quieter

When one AirPod sounds quieter than the other, Apple’s page on what to do if one AirPod is louder or quieter, published September 14, 2026, gives two checks. Remove the ear tips, check the microphone and speaker mesh for debris and clean it if needed. Then open Settings, tap Accessibility, then Audio & Visual, and make sure the Balance slider is in the middle.

To hear which side is weaker, run the left and right channel test with the AirPods connected, at the same low volume. The full sequence for an uneven pair, from the Balance slider to a reset or a replacement AirPod, is in the guide to one AirPod quieter than the other.

Wet AirPods charging case

A wet AirPods charging case gets wiped with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth and left to dry. Apple says not to get any liquid in the charging ports and not to put anything in them, to avoid damaging the metal contacts. Debris in the port can come out with a clean, dry, soft-bristled brush.

Whether the case is water resistant depends on the model. Cases for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 3 and AirPods 4 share the earbuds’ rating in the table above. The MagSafe Charging Case and Wireless Charging Case for AirPods Pro 1 are not water or sweat resistant.

Apple’s AirPods pages give no separate drying time for the case. The two-hour rule is about the earbuds: they go back in only once completely dry. Apple gives iPhone owners a similar rule for water in a charging port: nothing inserted into the port while it dries.

How to get water out of earbuds

Getting water out of other earbuds follows the same pattern as AirPods: wipe them dry, keep liquid away from the case, and follow the maker’s limits on submerging. The details differ by brand, so the maker’s own support page is the authority for your model.

The Google rows come from Google’s page on how to clean your Pixel Buds, which shows no publication date and was checked on September 17, 2026. It also warns that water on the earbud sensors can register as a touch gesture, so Google suggests turning gestures off in wet conditions. The Samsung row is from Samsung UK’s Galaxy Buds Pro page, updated January 25, 2021.

The tone on this page plays through any earbuds your phone sends sound to, with the same limits: dry them first, keep the volume low, and don’t expect it to fix liquid inside.

Can water-damaged AirPods be fixed?

Water-damaged AirPods that still sound wrong after drying and cleaning need Apple service, not more home fixes. Apple’s cleaning pages say that if cleaning doesn’t resolve the issue, get service, and that a damaged AirPod can be replaced, for an out-of-warranty fee if the Apple Limited Warranty, AppleCare+ or consumer law doesn’t cover it. Before booking service, rule out causes that have nothing to do with water, such as debris on the mesh or an ear tip that doesn’t seal, with the checks for fixing muffled AirPods.

Coverage is the deciding question. Apple’s AirPods service page, checked September 17, 2026, says its warranty doesn’t cover accidental damage, while AppleCare+ covers AirPods and the charging case for unlimited repairs for drops and spills. Check your coverage before paying for a replacement.