Earlier, I talked about the risk of wearing AirPods Pro in the rain. The shower and bath are probably even riskier for your headphones. Wireless earbuds now have to face a lot of water ánd heat simultaneously. A dangerous combination, because Apple is very clear on its guidelines.
Never wear AirPods Pro in the shower, bath, or sauna. Apple recommends users to never place their AirPods Pro under running water from a showerhead or faucet. While AirPods Pro earbuds are considered IPX4 water-resistant, the damp shower environment is likely to damage the wireless earbuds.
While it can happen that your AirPods break in the shower — it doesn’t have to happen.
Considering the relatively high price point of the average AirPods Pro purchase on Amazon, it’s probably not worth it to take the risk. There are plenty of reports from Apple fans that tried to take their wireless earbuds into the shower, and ended up breaking them.
Why You Can’t Wear AirPods In The Shower
While AirPods Pro will be slightly better at battling the elements (compared to the original version of Apple’s wireless earbuds), they weren’t made for the shower. At all.
Even with long hair to protect your wireless headphones, protection against the elements will be minimal. The potentially permanent water damage to your devices is very high. It’s simply not with risking those expensive earbuds over. Here are the main reasons to keep them out of the shower:
- Water will get stuck inside: Ever got water stuck in your ears? It won’t do much good for your AirPods either. Listening to music as if it is underwater will not be beneficial to your listening experience. If you’d like to keep the audio quality up to standard, you’d want to avoid any water from building up on the inside of your earbuds.
- The wiring can short-circuit: Water doesn’t mix very well with electronic circuitry. The wiring inside the AirPods was not designed to work underwater, so if water from the shower builds up inside the electronics are likely to short-circuit. This will permanently break your AirPods.
- Soap and shampoo are bad for the ear tips: Apple actively discourages users to clean their AirPods with soap. Other household cleaning products are also not recommended, which would include products like shower gel and shampoo. The recommendation is especially for the delicate ear tips, but the liquids could also damage the electronics once they get inside the device.
You’d have to be a bit of a madman (or madwoman) to consciously use your AirPods in the shower after learning about the damage risks. The earbuds are quite expensive, so using them in an irresponsible way is not recommended.
Is It Safe To Wear AirPods In The Bath?
Wearing AirPods while bathing is not safe, but it won’t electrocute the person in the bath. The voltage used inside the AirPods is simply too low to do any physical damage. However, accidentally dropping AirPods in the bath is likely to permanently break them. AirPods are not waterproof and will not survive the bathtub.
Honestly, I would highly recommend people to never try this. Electronics don’t mix well with water, unless they are fully IPX8 waterproof.
While it is unlikely that your wireless earbuds will cause any physical harm, they are likely to accidentally fall into the bath. Since AirPods Pro are only IPX4 splash resistant (and the older generations are not water-resistant at all), they won’t survive being submerged underwater.
Can You Wear AirPods After Taking A Shower?
It’s not recommended to wear AirPods Pro in the shower, but wearing your AirPods after a shower is acceptable. AirPods Pro are water-resistant, which will protect them from the damp environment. However, older AirPods generations are not water-resistant and should avoid the shower area completely.
That being said, long-term exposure to damp environments won’t be good for the devices.
Don’t take it from me, listen to what Apple themselves have to say on their official website about keeping your AirPods in warm, damp environments:
“Don’t wear AirPods Pro in a sauna or steam room.”
You could argue that a bathroom after showering is a similarly wet, damp, and warm environment. While your household bathroom might not exactly be a steam room, it is somewhat comparable. Let’s take the guesswork out of the equation and avoid taking your wireless headphones into the bathroom altogether.
How To (Properly) Dry Wet AirPods
Some of you might have already taken your Apple earbuds into the shower when reading this. First of all, don’t do that again. You’ll break them sooner rather than later.
If your AirPods are wet from the shower, it’s important to dry the devices right away:
- Use a microfiber cleaning cloth to dry the wet AirPods as quickly as possible. Make sure to really get into the smaller openings with your cloth. You want to remove the maximum amount of wetness while doing this.
- Don’t use the wet wireless earbuds for the next 24 hours. Don’t attempt to charge them while doing this. Avoid using a blowdryer or radiator to dry the AirPods faster. This will overheat and break the headphones.
- You might want to fill a bowl of dry rice, just like you would with a wet smartphone. It’s a proven method to dry electronics faster.
As explained in my survival guide for AirPods in the washing machine, silica packs can also be of help to remove any excess moisture from your devices. It’s the best you can do, because even the extended Apply warranty won’t be a cheap option to replace broken Apple earbuds that were in the shower.
Does Apple Warranty Cover Water Damage?
Water damage to AirPods Pro is not covered by the standard Apple warranty. Out-of-warranty replacement fees for AirPods Pro are $89 USD per incident. However, if your AirPods Pro are covered by the extended AppleCare+ for Headphones warranty, you only pay an AppleCare+ service fee of $29 USD (per incident).
Water damage is rarely ever covered by manufacturers of electronics, and this is also the case for most Apple products. It will likely cost you some money to get a replacement product for your damaged item. Also, take into account the shipping fees that are required to send the damaged product and receive the replacement items.
It can therefore be worth it to attempt to dry your AirPods yourself. If this does not work, you could choose to apply for the Apple Repair Service. It will take about a week to get your replacement product. The service will use the fee structure explained above. More info about replacements? Visit the official Apple Repair Service webpage here.
To prepare a replacement order for your broken AirPods Pro, make sure to:
- Contact Apple Support here. You can also choose to visit your local Apple Store if that’s more convenient for your situation.
- Make sure to collect your charging case, proof of purchase, original AirPods Pro box, and the (broken) AirPods themselves.
- Locate the serial number of your AirPods Pro, which should be located somewhere on the bottom of the charging case.
Use A Waterproof Speaker In The Shower Instead
Music in the shower makes life a lot more enjoyable. But broken AirPods make life miserable. So let’s be responsible AirPods users and keep your wireless headphones away from water.
So why not pair your AirPods Pro with a (relatively cheap) waterproof Bluetooth speaker instead? This will not only provide you with a better bathing experience, but will also keep your electronics alive much longer.
For example, a popular choice is this waterproof JBL Flip 4 speaker. You can connect it to multiple devices through WiFi or Bluetooth, and the sound quality is simply superb. You will never have to risk your AirPods in the shower again, and won’t run the risk of having your ears getting an electric shock. Because remember: water and electronics don’t mix well.
Enjoy your music, stay clean, stay safe, and stay dry whenever you’re wearing those AirPods!