DecibelwerkQuick answer: Open the SPEAKER panel, turn the iPhone’s volume all the way up, hold it with the bottom speaker facing down and press EJECT. Decibelwerk plays a pulsed 165 Hz tone for 30 seconds while a ring of LEDs counts down. If it still sounds muffled, rest a minute and run it again. It’s free.
Why a low tone helps
A wet speaker sounds muffled because drops sit on the mesh grille and damp the sound. A loud, low frequency moves the speaker cone further than speech or music does, and each movement pushes air against the drops. Facing the speaker downward lets gravity carry them out. Apple Watch has a built-in feature that does the same thing with sound; the iPhone doesn’t, which is why apps like this exist.
Using it
- Turn the volume all the way up with the side buttons.
- Hold the iPhone so the bottom speaker grille faces the floor.
- On the SPEAKER panel, press EJECT. The 24 LEDs around the key light up over 30 seconds.
- Wipe the outside dry and test with a voice memo or a song.
What Apple says to do
The speaker cleaner shows Apple’s guidance right below the key, because it matters more than any tone: unplug any cable, tap the iPhone gently against your hand with the connector facing down, and leave it somewhere dry with some airflow. Don’t use a heat source, compressed air or a bag of rice, and don’t push anything into the port. The full steps, including the liquid-detection alert, are in how to get water out of an iPhone speaker.