Questions and answers

Each cycle lasts 30 seconds and the tool runs two by default. If the speaker is still muffled you can add one more, up to a limit of three per run. After that, stop and let the phone air-dry, because anything the tone can reach has already moved.

For the water eject tool, turn the media volume to maximum, since the cone has to move a long way to break up the water. For the tone generator, do the opposite: start low and raise it slowly.

Vibrate mode plays a lower, rougher square wave that sweeps from 60 Hz down to 45 Hz. It shakes the speaker differently from the main mode and can help walk stubborn droplets toward the grille. Try it after Eject water if the sound is still dull. Some small speakers barely reproduce notes this low, so it will sound quiet on those phones.

Yes. The tools run in any current mobile browser and nothing needs installing. On an iPhone, make sure the phone is not in silent mode. On both, disconnect Bluetooth headphones first or the tone will play through them.

It removes water from the speaker itself. A low, loud tone makes the speaker cone move far enough to break the film of water on the mesh and throw droplets out through the grille. It does nothing for water elsewhere inside the phone, such as in the charging port.

For a short run, yes. It asks no more of the speaker than loud music does. The risk is long, repeated use: high-volume, low-frequency tones played at maximum for long periods can damage small speakers, which is why the tool stops on its own and limits each run to three cycles.

You will not always see droplets. A thin film can break up into a mist too fine to notice, or the water may already have drained. Check that the volume is at maximum, the case is off, Bluetooth is disconnected and the speaker is pointing down. If the sound is still muffled after three cycles, leave the phone in moving air for a few hours.

With care. Take the earbuds out of your ears, place them mesh-down on a cloth and use a moderate volume. Earbud drivers are tiny, so the effect is limited, and they need more drying time than a phone. Never run a loud tone through earbuds while wearing them. See the guide to cleaning AirPods and earbud mesh.

Use the stereo sound test to confirm which side it is. Then run the water eject tool with that speaker pointing down, and clean its grille with a soft dry brush. If it is still quiet the next day, follow the phone speaker checklist.

Water sitting on the speaker cone stops it moving evenly, which you hear as crackle or buzz. Run the tool, then let the phone dry. Crackling that continues at every volume after a day or two of drying suggests the speaker has been damaged and needs replacing.

Phone speakers are too small to reproduce deep bass. Most produce very little below about 200 Hz, so near-silence at 60 Hz is normal and not a fault. Headphones or a larger speaker will play those tones.

The tools are free and there is no account or app to install. The sounds are generated in your browser. The tools do not use your microphone. Analytics and advertising load only if you accept them in the privacy choices banner, and the tools work the same either way.