Pools are where water-resistant phones are most often put to the test, sometimes by accident and sometimes for an underwater photo. Pool water is not the same as the tap water used in IP testing, and it deserves a little more care afterwards.
What is different about pool water
- Chlorine and other chemicals. Pools are treated with chlorine or bromine and balanced with acids and salts. These are hard on the rubber gaskets and adhesive that keep water out. One swim does little. Repeated exposure dries the seals and shortens their life.
- Residue. As pool water evaporates it leaves a film of minerals and chemicals in the speaker grille, microphone holes and charging port.
- Salt-water pools. Many pools use salt chlorination. The water is far less salty than the sea, but it is still more conductive and corrosive than fresh water.
- Depth and pressure. A phone that sinks to the bottom of the deep end may be beyond its rated depth, and diving in with a phone in your pocket adds impact pressure that the rating does not cover.
- Sunscreen. Oils and lotions on your hands and in the water degrade seals and coat the speaker mesh.
Apple and Samsung both say their phones should not be used for swimming, and both recommend rinsing after contact with chlorinated water.
What to do after a drop in the pool
- Get it out quickly. Time and depth both count.
- Switch it off.
- Rinse with fresh water if the phone is water resistant. A few seconds under a gentle tap, or a wipe with a cloth soaked in clean water, removes the pool chemicals before they dry.
- Dry the outside with a soft towel. Take the case off.
- Drain the openings. Hold the phone port-down and tap it against your palm.
- Keep it out of the sun. A poolside table in direct sunlight will overheat a phone in minutes. Dry it in the shade with moving air.
- Wait before charging. At least five hours, and until any moisture alert has cleared.
If the phone is not water resistant, has a cracked screen or back, or has been repaired, skip the rinse. Wipe it down, keep it off and take it to a technician.
Clearing the speakers
Muffled sound is almost guaranteed after a pool dunk. Once the phone is back on:
- Turn the volume to maximum.
- Hold the phone with the bottom speaker facing the ground.
- Run the water eject sound for 60 seconds and wipe the grille.
- Repeat, then run Ultra mode for the earpiece.
If the sound is still dull the next day, residue has probably dried on the mesh. Wipe the grille with a slightly damp cloth, let it dry and run the tone again.
Underwater photos
Touchscreens do not work reliably underwater, and the phone is exposed to everything listed above. If you want pool photos, use a sealed waterproof pouch or a dedicated underwater housing, and use the volume button as the shutter. Test the pouch empty first.
Signs of trouble later
Watch over the following week for fog inside the camera lens, a charging port that works only now and then, crackling speakers that come back after clearing, or a phone that gets warm when idle. These suggest water got past the seals. Back up your data and have it checked.