Technologies

Is My Phone Actually Waterproof? IP68, IPX8 Ratings Explained

Can you take your iPhone or Android phone swimming? Here’s what those IP water-resistance ratings mean.

If you’ve ever knocked a drink over your phone, you know the importance of water resistance. It can mean the difference between a frantic wipe-down with a tissue or an expensive trip to buy a new phone. Water and dust resistance used to be something found only on those burly, rubber-sealed phones designed for construction workers or downhill mountain bikers but it’s pretty much the norm in most of today’s phones, including the iPhone 17 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Even Google’s affordable Pixel 8A is water resistant.

Not all phones can withstand being dunked in water, though, and some shouldn’t be near any liquids. Almost no phones should be taken swimming in a pool, and ocean swimming is completely out of the question, unless you’re using a water-tight case of some kind.

If you’ve shopped for a phone recently, you’ll have come across terms like “water resistant,” as well as the now common IP67, IP68 and IPX8 ratings. But what do those ratings really mean and, crucially, how waterproof is your expensive new phone?

Let’s break down the jargon and find out.

What do IP67, IP68 and IPX8 mean?

Ingress protection ratings (also known as international protection ratings) are a standard set forth by the International Electrotechnical Commission. According to the organization, the codes are designed as a “system for classifying the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment.”

The first number in the rating code represents the amount of protection provided against the entry of foreign solid objects, such as sand or dust. These protection levels range from 0 to 6.

The second number represents the degree of protection against the entry of moisture or liquid, with protection levels ranging from 0 to 8.

Sometimes you’ll see an IP rating with a number replaced with an X, such as IPX8. In this instance, a company hasn’t provided testing details so the rating number is replaced with an X. An IPX8-rated device can survive being submerged in water then, but it hasn’t officially been rated for any protection from dust or other particles.

The iPhone 17 Pro has an IP68 rating, meaning it’s protected from dust getting inside and can withstand being submerged in water. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also IP68 rated. So they’re equally water-resistant, right? Well, no. That’s where it gets confusing.

For an 8 on the IP rating, the IEC demands a device can withstand being submerged in at least 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. Beyond that, it’s up to the manufacturer. The S25 Ultra can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, while Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro is safe in up to 6 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. So while any phone with an IP68 rating will have had to hit that 1 meter-30 minute minimum threshold, it’s important to check the fine print and see exactly what your phone offers.

For further details on all the IP ratings, you can see charts at the end of this article outlining the protection levels set by the IEC.

Can I go swimming with my iPhone?

While the iPhone 17 Pro’s advertised 6 meters of water-resistance might make it seem like you can slip one into your swim shorts and hit the pool, you’d be well advised to leave it out of the water. The IP rating is tested in controlled conditions — in water with no movement. Moving your phone in the water will add more water pressure, making it more likely that water could find its way inside and do irreparable damage to your phone.

The IP tests are also done using fresh water; most pools will have additional chemicals such as chlorine, which could make a difference to your phone’s resistance. And you should absolutely keep your phone out of the sea: Salt water could cause a lot of trouble, including degrading the metal parts in your charging port and essentially ruining your phone.

Even if your phone has the top IP68 resistance rating, it’s good practice to treat the feature as a backup in case of emergencies. Your phone is not designed to go snorkeling, so don’t try using the camera to snag pictures of starfish or whatever. Nor should you try to record TikTok videos of yourself jumping off the high dive into the deep end. It’s there for accidents like spilling a drink or emergencies like making a call in the pouring rain.

My phone doesn’t have an IP rating. Can it get wet?

For a company to advertise that its product has an IP rating at all, it needs to have undergone strict tests to ensure it meets the requirements. These tests can be timely and costly, so it’s understandable that some companies simply don’t want to spend the cash, particularly with budget-focused models.

Some phones instead use terms like “water-repellent” or “water-resistant” without an official IP rating. These handsets may make use of methods like rubberized seals or water-repellent nano coating to keep moisture at bay. While these phones may well survive an accidental dunking, it’s worth keeping them safe from being fully submerged in water. But you shouldn’t need to worry too much about taking calls in the rain.

If your phone makes no mention of water resistance, then it’s best to assume that it has none and you should take as much care as you can around liquids.

Solid protection

IP Code	Protection	Object size
0	No protection	N/A
1	Protection from contact with any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand. but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part, such as a finger	Less than 50mm
2	Protection from fingers or similar objects	Less than 12.5mm
3	Protection from tools, thick wires or similar objects	Less than 2.5mm
4	Protection from most wires, screws or similar objects	Less than 1mm
5	Partial protection from contact with harmful dust	N/A
6	Protection from contact with harmful dust	N/A

Moisture protection

IP code	Protection	Test duration	Usage
0	No protection	N/A	N/A
1	Protection against vertically dripping water	10 mins	Light rain
2	Protection against vertically dripping water when device is tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees	10 mins	Light rain
3	Protection against direct sprays of water when device is tilted at an angle up to 60 degrees	5 mins	Rain and spraying
4	Protection from sprays and splashing of water in all directions	5 mins	Rain, spraying and splashing
5	Protection from low-pressure water projected from a nozzle with a 6.3mm diameter opening in any direction	3 mins from a distance of 3 meters	Rain, splashing and direct contact with most kitchen and bathroom faucets
6	Protection from water projected in powerful jets from a nozzle with a 12.5mm diameter opening in any direction	3 mins from a distance of 3 meters	Rain, splashing, direct contact with kitchen and bathroom faucets, outdoor use in rough sea conditions
7	Protected from immersion in water with a depth of up to 1 meter (or 3.3 feet) for up to 30 mins	30 mins	Rain, splashing and accidental submersion
8	Protected from immersion in water with a depth of more than 1 meter (manufacturer must specify exact depth)	At least 30 mins	Rain, splashing and accidental submersion

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Technologies

U.S., Iran hold separate mediator talks as Mideast oil exports hit war-time high

Iranian and U.S. officials reportedly met separately with mediators Monday to push for a ceasefire, as Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded to war-time high.

Iranian and U.S. officials reportedly met separately with mediators Monday to push for a ceasefire.

Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February.

An outright export ban by Washington on diesel would keep roughly 1.2 million barrels a day at home, and risks overwhelming Gulf Coast storage, according to Kpler.

The building of the destroyed Shajareh Tayebeh primary school is pictured surrounded by rubble in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province on August 10, 2026. Six months on, a team of AFP journalists obtained rare access to the school which has remained largely in ruins, its collapsed walls and twisted steel now surrounded by portraits of the children killed as Iranian flags flutter above the rubble. Iran says the attack on the school involved two separate US Tomahawk missiles but neither the United States nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility for the strike. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /

Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images

U.S. and Iranian officials have reportedly held separate indirect talks with mediators on Monday, reviving efforts to end seven months of war as Tehran presses for a response to a revised ceasefire framework and Middle East crude exports climb to their highest level since the conflict began.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Qatari mediators in New York, where he remained after the United Nations General Assembly, and reportedly said he expects Washington’s reply by Tuesday. “We talked about ideas and how to find solutions to fulfil Iran’s conditions,” Araghchi said, adding that he planned to return to Tehran once a response arrives. “Whenever the Qataris have a response, they know how to get it to us.”

Iran’s proposal, first presented on the sidelines of last week’s General Assembly, calls for a four- to five-day U.S. timeline to release frozen Iranian funds, lift sanctions on Iranian oil and end the naval blockade of Iranian ports, with nuclear talks beginning within seven days. Tehran has tied any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to those steps.

President Donald Trump had on Sunday called the plan “unacceptable” and rejected it, telling reporters Iran wants a swift deal because of the economic pressure it is under. Speaking at the White House Monday, Trump said U.S. officials had spoken separately with mediators but gave no further details, adding: “We’re going to win. It’s going to go pretty quickly.”

The diplomatic push comes as physical supply data shows the war’s toll on the oil market easing. Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February, Kpler data showed. “Middle East crude exports at just under 80% of pre-conflict levels,” the tracking firm said in a note on Monday.

The Strait of Hormuz itself remains far from normal. Kpler’s real-time tracking showed total clearance through the strait at 10,591 kilobarrels a day on Saturday, against a pre-war baseline of 17,133.

Technologies

Oil prices fall as crude exports recover at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports

Saudi Arabia has restored flows through the pipeline to around 3.5 million barrels per day, according to media reports.

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