Android smartphone manufacturers always provide an IP rating with their devices if they pass a series of tests. This small app called Water Resistance Tester claims to inform you whether the water-resistant seals in your phone are still functioning, without the need for water. This way, you won’t have to submerge your device in water and risk damaging it to find out if it can prevent liquids from leaking inside the structure.
The app is free to download from the Google Play Store and uses data from the pressure sensor that is now integrated into most flagship phones to assist in vertical location determination. The pressure sensor determines the pressure level inside the device, and the app measures changes in this pressure level. The nuances in the device’s pressure gauge can help test whether the water-resistant seals of a phone with an IP67 or IP68 rating are still effective.
The test requires the user to place the phone on a surface and then press down firmly across two points on the screen. By measuring pressure differences, it claims to determine whether the water-resistant seals are still reliable. It should work with any IP-rated phone and can adapt to physical changes.
The Android app does not provide any guarantees, and results will not affect a company that chooses not to honor a warranty. Reviews on the Google Play Store indicate that phones without an IP rating yield negative results. Those that have protection but have had a screen repair report that the water-resistant seals are no longer effective. The developer states that the app was created to help people check the status of their devices' water-resistant seals after repair.
It is noted that this app is not the first of its kind. However, some water resistance testing apps available in the Google Play Store seem to be designed for older phones with different types of water sealing than those used in today's phones, and they may not work accurately now. Regardless of the results, precautions should be taken when dealing with water for any older phone, as water-resistant seals become compromised as phones age.
