A new report confirms the effectiveness of a popular YouTube video method for drying a wet phone. But how does it work? Is it really tried and tested?

YouTube features numerous videos promising to remove water from phone speakers, with users swearing they work. Many of these videos mention a “community” of users who have experienced water damage. This popularity of water removal solutions is evident in the comments section, but the question remains whether these solutions are truly effective.

The Verge reports that videos on phones use speakers to push air, aiming to optimize air pressure by playing low sounds and increasing volume.

To understand this even better, the AndroidAuthority and iFixit team tested these videos on wet iPhone 13, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 3, and Nokia 7.1. They found speakers could push out water through the speaker grille, but not from other entry points like USB ports or SIM card slots.

So in the end, it all still comes down to your phone’s water resistance (some brands were even accused of misleading IP ratings in the past). However, using these audio fixes may help a little bit. It may not be a guarantee that the fix will save your phone after getting drenched in water, but it might be a better solution than leaving it in a bag of rice for days.