Is Your iPhone Actually Waterproof? IP Ratings Explained

No iPhone is waterproof. Every iPhone from the iPhone 7 onward is water-resistant, which is a different claim with real limits — and Apple's own warranty does not cover liquid damage on any of them. Water resistance is also not permanent: the seals that provide it degrade with age, heat, and minor drops, so a two-year-old phone is measurably less protected than it was new. This guide explains what your model's IP rating actually promises, what quietly destroys it, and what to do when a phone gets wet anyway.

What IP68 and IP67 Actually Mean

An IP (Ingress Protection) rating has two digits. The first is protection against solids, the second against liquids.

• The first digit — 6 means fully dust-tight. Every water-resistant iPhone scores 6 here.
• The second digit — 7 means the device survived immersion in 1 metre of water for 30 minutes.
• The second digit — 8 means it survived immersion deeper than 1 metre, with the manufacturer stating the exact depth and time.

The critical detail almost everyone misses: IP testing is done in a laboratory, on brand-new devices, in fresh, still water. No pressure from movement, no chemicals, no soap, no salt, no heat, and no wear on the seals. Your phone in the real world is not the phone that passed that test.

The rating is also not a durability promise over time. It describes one device on one day under controlled conditions — which is precisely why manufacturers exclude liquid damage from warranty despite advertising the rating.

IP Ratings by iPhone Model

Apple has used two ratings across the water-resistant generations. Here is where each model sits:

• iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X — IP67: up to 1 metre for 30 minutes.
• iPhone XR, SE (2nd generation), SE (3rd generation) — IP67: up to 1 metre for 30 minutes.
• iPhone XS, XS Max — IP68: up to 2 metres for 30 minutes.
• iPhone 11 — IP68: up to 2 metres for 30 minutes.
• iPhone 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max — IP68: up to 4 metres for 30 minutes.
• iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 series — IP68: up to 6 metres for 30 minutes.

Samsung's flagships sit slightly lower on paper: Galaxy S21 through to the current S series carry IP68 rated to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes. Foldables are the exception to watch — several Galaxy Z models carry water resistance with no dust rating at all, because the hinge cannot be sealed against grit.

Because Apple occasionally revises these figures and newer models arrive regularly, check Apple's official tech specs page for your exact model if you need the definitive number. The practical guidance below applies regardless of which rating your phone carries.

Why Water Resistance Fades — The Part Nobody Is Told

This is the single most important thing in this article. Water resistance is delivered by adhesive gaskets running around the display, the rear glass, the SIM tray, and the button and speaker openings. Adhesive is a consumable. It ages.

Four things degrade those seals, all of them completely normal:

• Ordinary ageing. The adhesive gradually loses elasticity and grip. This happens whether or not the phone is ever exposed to water.
• Drops and impacts. A drop that leaves no visible damage can still flex the chassis enough to break the seal's contact. Your phone can look perfect and no longer be sealed.
• Heat. New Zealand summers, a car dashboard, or a phone left in direct sun all soften display adhesive. Repeated heat cycling is hard on it.
• Any previous opening. If the phone has ever been opened — by anyone — water resistance depends entirely on whether the seal was correctly replaced.

That last point matters when choosing a repairer. A screen replacement necessarily breaks the display seal. Restoring resistance requires the old adhesive to be fully removed and a correct replacement gasket fitted — a step a cheap, fast repair often skips, because it costs time and parts and the customer cannot see whether it was done. It is worth asking directly before you hand over your phone.

The honest summary: treat the IP rating as an emergency safety net for accidents, not a feature to rely on deliberately.

What the Rating Does Not Cover

IP testing uses fresh, still water. These common exposures fall outside it entirely:

• Salt water. The most damaging liquid a phone encounters. Salt is conductive and corrosive, and it keeps corroding after the phone dries. A trip to Piha or Bethells is a genuine risk regardless of rating.
• Chlorinated pool water and hot tubs. Chlorine attacks the seals, and the heat of a spa pool softens the adhesive at the same time — a bad combination.
• Soapy water. Soaps and detergents reduce water's surface tension, letting it penetrate gaps plain water would not.
• Pressurised water. Immersion testing is static. A shower, a tap, a hose, or jumping into a pool applies pressure the test never simulates.
• Steam. The most underrated of all. Bathroom steam is fine enough to enter through openings and condense inside, corroding contacts gradually. Phones in bathrooms are a routine cause of damage we see.

Liquid Contact Indicators — How Apple Knows

Every modern iPhone contains a Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI): a small sticker, normally white or silver, that turns red on contact with liquid. On most recent iPhones it sits inside the SIM tray slot, and you can often see it yourself with a torch after removing the tray.

A triggered LCI is why liquid damage claims get declined. Apple's warranty and AppleCare+ terms exclude liquid damage, and the indicator provides an objective record that it occurred — you cannot argue it away. Worth knowing: an LCI can occasionally trip from prolonged high humidity rather than actual submersion.

If liquid damage is not covered by warranty, it may still be covered by your contents or device insurance. If you need documentation for a claim, we provide device insurance reports, and our guide to filing a phone insurance claim in New Zealand covers what insurers typically ask for.

If Your Phone Does Get Wet

The rating gives you a chance, not a guarantee — so act as though it is not protected. The essentials: power it off immediately and do not charge it. Charging a wet phone drives current through wet circuitry and is the single most damaging thing you can do.

And do not use rice. Apple has explicitly advised against it. It does not draw moisture out of a sealed device, and it pushes starch and debris into the ports — we routinely have to clean rice out before starting the actual repair.

Our full step-by-step guide covers the first 60 seconds in detail: what to do (and what not to do) when you drop your phone in water. If the phone has already been exposed, our liquid damage repair service uses ultrasonic cleaning to remove corrosion from the logic board — something that cannot be replicated at home.

Keeping What Resistance You Have

• Rinse with fresh water after salt or chlorine exposure — gently, then dry thoroughly. Removing the salt matters more than the initial contact.
• Use a proper pouch for water activities — a dedicated IPX8 pouch costs $15–30 and does not age the way your phone's seals do.
• Keep it out of the bathroom. Steam is cumulative and invisible.
• Repair cracked glass promptly. A crack breaks the seal outright — see what a cracked screen is actually doing to your phone.
• Assume less protection as the phone ages. A four-year-old iPhone should be treated as not water-resistant at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the iPhone 17 waterproof?

No iPhone is waterproof — they are water-resistant. Current iPhone models carry an IP68 rating, meaning they were tested to survive immersion in fresh water at a stated depth for up to 30 minutes under laboratory conditions. That rating degrades as the phone ages, and Apple's warranty does not cover liquid damage on any model. Check Apple's tech specs page for your exact model's rated depth.

What is the difference between waterproof and water-resistant?

Waterproof implies water cannot get in under any conditions, which is not true of any phone. Water-resistant means the device resisted water ingress under specific tested conditions — a set depth, for a set time, in fresh, still water, when new. Manufacturers use water-resistant deliberately, and that is why liquid damage is excluded from warranty.

Does water resistance wear off over time?

Yes. Water resistance comes from adhesive seals around the display, rear glass, SIM tray and buttons. Those seals lose elasticity with age, are weakened by heat, and can be broken by drops that leave no visible damage. A phone that has been opened for a repair only keeps its resistance if the seal was correctly replaced. Treat an older phone as significantly less protected than when new.

Does Apple's warranty cover water damage?

No. Apple's standard warranty and AppleCare+ both exclude liquid damage, despite iPhones carrying an IP68 rating. Every iPhone has a Liquid Contact Indicator — a small sticker, usually visible inside the SIM tray slot, that turns red on contact with liquid — which is checked when assessing a claim. Liquid damage may still be covered by contents or device insurance.

Can I take my iPhone in the pool or the sea?

It is not advisable. IP testing uses fresh, still water, while chlorine and salt both attack the seals — and salt keeps corroding after the phone dries. Pressure from movement or jumping in also exceeds what the static immersion test simulates. If you want your phone near water, use a dedicated IPX8 waterproof pouch.