It's a good feeling knowing that you won't have to break the rice out if you get caught in the rain. However, one major issue in the tech community is manufacturers not being clear about exactly how resistant to water their devices are.

Truth be told, there are so many facts that they just don't tell you about water-resistant phones. Even if you have a water-resistant phone, there are still steps you need to take to ensure its longevity. Here's what you need to know about taking care of a water-resistant phone.

What Is Water-Resistant?

First and foremost: water-resistant is not waterproof! So many companies falsely advertise their devices as waterproof, but there's no such thing as a waterproof phone. Waterproof means completely protected from water; whereas, water-resistant means that it can combat water, but water will seep in, eventually.

Phone sticking out of water with green plant

The IP Certification System

When a device is made water-resistant, it's given an IP (Ingress Protection) rating to let people know how resilient it is. It's indicated by the letters "IP" followed by two numbers; for example, IP68. The first number indicates how resistant the phone is to solids, and the second number does the same for liquids. The higher the number, the more resistant the phone is.

Most phones come out with an IP rating of IP68, which means that the phone is protected from all types of dust and sand. It also means that the phone can be submerged under 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. A zero means that it's not protected at all, and an X means that the company didn't test the phone for that material.

What Makes a Phone Water-Resistant?

Phones aren't the only devices that can be water-resistant; anything from your Bluetooth speaker to your electrical socket can have an IP rating. When it comes to phones, there are several ways that they reject water. First and foremost, there are adhesives. The backplate of your phone is held tightly in place by strong adhesive strips. This creates a strong seal that keeps water from seeping through the seam.

There are parts on your phone that just won't work with adhesive, like ports. Ports like the headphone jack, charging port, microphones, and sim/SD card tray use a thick rubber gasket instead. This gasket is sandwiched between the port and the chassis of the phone to create a tight seal. Buttons are given a silicone boot to keep water away from the circuitry, and speaker grilles use a water-resistant mesh material to repel liquids.

Related: Protect Your Electronics From Water With These Steps

How Long Can Your Phone Be Underwater?

If your phone has an IP_7 or IP_8 (the first number isn't important in this case, so they're represented by underscores) it can survive being fully submerged underwater, but there are limitations. A phone with IP_7 is rated to survive up to a meter underwater, and a phone with IP_8 is rated to last up to 1.5 meters. Secondly, they're rated to stay at those depths for up to 30 minutes.

However, each phone's mileage will vary. The IP certification means that they were tested to reach those numbers. Depending on how good of a job the company did, a phone can survive even deeper or even longer.

two people in water taking selfie

Beware of Saltwater and Pool Water

As mentioned before, manufacturers like to hide important information about their water-resistant phones. One important bit of information is that their phones can only survive exposure to freshwater. This is a crucial tidbit of information, as it can mean the difference between a functional phone and a dead one.

If you drop your phone in the sink, a pond, or a toilet, it will be just fine because that's freshwater. The story changes once we encounter other types of water. You don't want to take your phone to the beach because you don't want to expose it to saltwater. The salt in the seawater will actually dissolve the adhesive glueing the phone together.

This goes the same for the chlorine in your pool water. In a YouTube video by Michael Fisher (see below), he took his LG V30 to the beach and a pool only to find his phone fried by the end of the day. The salt and chlorine were able to eat away at the adhesive. It was so bad that salt was actually able to deposit itself in the phone. There are ways to fix a water-damaged phone in case this happens.

youtu.be/kDXxM-mCWFg?t=321

Don't Take Your Phone Apart (or Properly Seal it If You Do)

Sometimes, you need to take apart your phone, but you destroy its water-resistance the instant you do. Water is a powerful and sneaky substance, so it will find every point of ingress on your device. Once you compromise the adhesive seal, it can't be used anymore.

Applying The New Adhesive

If you need to take your phone apart for any reason, make sure that you get the fresh adhesive to replace the old stuff. Even if you replace it, there isn't a 100% guarantee that it will still repel water; this is something you need to keep in mind.

Knowing how to apply the adhesive properly is make-or-break (literally) for your phone. The first thing you should do is search for pre-cut adhesive strips specifically made for your phone. There are the easiest to apply, and they ensure the best seal. This is the best way to make sure that you won't leave any gaps.

Related: Your AirPods Aren't Waterproof, But Here's What You Can Do

If you can't find any pre-cut adhesive strips for your phone, then your best bet is to use adhesive rolls. You want to avoid generic double-sided tape you'd buy at the store and order some industrial-grade adhesive. When applying the tape, your ultimate goal is to make sure your phone has 360-degree protection.

Be sure not to peel off the wax tape covering the top side of the adhesive. Take four strips of adhesive, each exactly as long as each side of the phone. Lay them over the edge so that a bit is hanging off. After that, press the strips down tightly and cut off the excess. Now, you can take off the wax paper and place the back cover back on your phone. Like most adhesives, it will take some time to set. When you put the back cover back on, keep pressing down for about a minute to help the adhesive cure.

Silver wet iPhone on black background

An Ounce of Prevention Can Save You a Lot of Money

It's easy to get cocky when your phone has a fancy IP certification rating, but that's only half the story. While it's true that the certification can protect your phone from certain situations, there are still a lot of situations where it won't stand a chance. The IP certification is mostly to protect your phone from accidental spills or unexpected rain showers. It's not for you to film your underwater vlog. Sometimes, it helps not to test what your phone can do, but be mindful of what it can't.