IP ratings are important especially if you’re buying an expensive phone. The device should at least survive water splashes when you’re near the pool, when it suddenly rains, or when you drop the phone on the sink. There are durability tests, teardown treatments, and waterdrop tests being made but those can’t be easily done by ordinary smartphone owners. We can’t always afford getting a new phone wet or placing it underwater just to check it’s water-resistance. But good thing there are smart developers that come up with easier and more accessible ways.
There is the new Water Resistance Tester app as shared on reddit. As described by the developer, the app can test a smartphone’s IP67/IP68 water resistance seals. It’s a convenient way to know how protected your phone is.
No need to dunk the phone in water. The water resistance capabilities of a device can be checked by using the barometer of the phone which is usually built-in. It still is recommended to care for your phones against drops and water from seeping inside.
You can download the Water Resistance Tester app straight from the Google Play Store. Just remember the seals of your phone “can become compromised with drops and device aging”. It’s always best if you “keep your phone away from all liquids” according to the developer.
Here are some demo videos available online:
Google Pixel 2 (factory water resistance, intact)
Google Pixel 3 XL (factory water resistance intact, and also tested with SIM tray removed)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra US (factory water resistance, intact)
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G US (no factory water resistance)
Samsung service technicians are said to be using this same methodology as an official measure if a phone is waterproof or not. That is according to other redditors who shared their knowledge.
