Is It Bad To Shower With iPhone?
iPhones have an IP68 water-resistance rating, meaning iPhones are not protected against high pressure or temperatures, including showers. According to the International Electrotechnical Commission. Apple recommends you do not swim, shower, bathe or play water sports with an iPhone.
Although iPhones are water-resistant, they are not entirely waterproof. It means water can still penetrate your iPhone and reach its internal parts. Moreover, iPhones cannot be splash, water, and dust resistant forever.
According to Apple, an iPhone’s resistance to dust, water, and splash can decrease after frequent usage. iPhones are only resistant to accidental spills of water, soda, beer, coffee, juices, and related liquids. If you submerge your iPhone into the water while swimming, it may suffer from water damage.
Apple’s support page about splash, water, and dust resistance clearly states that there are certain activities that you should not do with your iPhone.
These precautions include:
- Do not take a bath or go for a swim with your iPhone.
- Do not use your iPhone while showering, wakeboarding, jet skiing, water skiing, surfing, or other sports involving high-velocity water.
- Do not use your iPhone in a steam room or a sauna.
- Do not deliberately submerge your iPhone in liquids and water.
- Do not use your iPhone outside of the Apple suggested temperature ranges.
In such cases, your iPhone’s water damage will be treated as accidental damage and will not be covered by Apple’s one-year limited warranty. Instead, you will have to pay Apple to fix the water damage in your iPhones.
To find out more about the rates of fixing water damage, read my article to find out how much Apple charges for water damage for each iPhone model.
Can I Bring My iPhone 12 In The Shower?
iPhones 12 has an IP68 water-resistance rating meaning it is not protected against high pressure or temperatures, including showers. According to the International Electrotechnical Commission. It can withstand accidental spills and splashes of water, but deliberately taking it under a drizzle with pressurized water likely will result in water damage.
You may be tempted by Apple’s iPhone 12 release video where the iPhone 12 can be seen being effortlessly splashed by water and not be affected. However, do not confuse water resistance with waterproof.
Like any other iPhone model, the iPhone 12 is water-resistant, not waterproof, which means it can withstand a few drops and splashes of water. But, it does not give you the ability to take your iPhone underwater.
Even water-resistance claims made by Apple about its iPhones were under scrutiny when an Italian court fined Apple for only testing iPhones for water resistance in controlled environments and with pure water.
According to the details, Apple did not test its iPhones for water resistance in real-life scenarios. However, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes).
So basically, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini were tested under controlled conditions nowhere near real-life scenarios. The same is the case for iPhone 12 Pro models.
Before diving into the water with your iPhone, think twice unless you are willing to pay hefty liquid damage repair costs. It is because you expose your iPhone 12 to high-velocity shower water, soap, detergent, and other chemicals.
To keep your iPhone safe, you should use a protective waterproof case. A waterproof case will minimize its contact with water and reduce the effects of falls and bumps.
So we all know water is terrible for iPhones, but how about dropping your expensive device? To learn if this causes internal damage, please read my dedicated article.
Can I Take My iPhone 11 In The Shower?
The iPhone 11 has a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes). Still, it is not protected against high pressure or higher temperatures conditions found in a shower. The International Electrotechnical Commission stated iPhones’ water resistance relies on the surface tension of the water, detergents, and soap reduce water surface tension and the iPhone’s water resistance.
Apple does not recommend showering with any iPhone model, be it iPhone 11 or later models. That’s because iPhones are not waterproof and can get damaged by pressurized water, soap, and shampoo.
The iPhone 11 comes with a splash, water, and dust resistance rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes). However, the iPhone rating developed due to conditioned environments and controlled settings, not for real-life scenarios.
Moreover, the splash, water, and dust resistance in iPhones are not permanent, according to Apple. This resistance decreases over time, so you should never submerge your iPhone in water. Because in case of liquid damage, your iPhone will not be covered under the one-year warranty.
The same is the case with any other phone that comes with an IP67 or IP68 rating. You will notice that none of these phones are covered under the warranty because they cannot withstand severe water damage. You will always have to pay expensive repair costs to fix water damage.
But if you are still hellbent on taking your iPhone in the shower, we recommend placing it within a waterproof case or placing it at a safe distance. Moreover, it would be best to keep an exhaust fan, or a window open so the steam does not damage your iPhone.
If your iPhone shuts down out of nowhere often or if it heats up frequently, read my article to find out if these are the signs that your iPhone is dying.