Who's stuck their phone in their tank... on purpose?

[nim6us]

I've been using one of those scuba safe bags to put my iPhone in my tank and take pictures of my corals. The issue is as the phone is taking the picture through a plastic window in the bag I'm not getting all the detail I'd hoped for in my pictures.

Someone mentioned that iPhone's are water resistant, definitely up to the two foot of depth in my tank. However my concern was the saltwater drying and crusting up internals. Which then lead me to think I could rinse it in the sink after to flush the saltwater.

However, there's just something about sticking a $1k phone in my display tank that feels wrong. Has anyone done this and lived to tell the tale? Looking for good or bad experiences.

 

[Potatohead]

Yep. The only thing that kind of sucks is you get some salt crusties in the lightning port, which sometimes takes a few days and some freshwater rinsing to mitigate. You'll typically get some "water in charging port" errors for a few days.

 

[nim6us]

And do you rinse your phone with fresh water after?

 

[Jasonak]

I use Samsung but 100 percent have walked around in the water for several minutes in the ocean with it filming turtles that were swimming around me. Rinsed off with fresh water when done. That was 2 years ago never had a problem with it. I did that a couple times on that same trip. Never more than 3 feet under water.

 

[Potatohead]

And do you rinse your phone with fresh water after?

Yes

 

[Jasonak]

 

[Crabs McJones]

Nice try verizon, I'm not falling for that one again, send me my warranty phone

 

[Jaden9933]

i work at T-Mobile. phones (FLAGSHIP ONLY Apple, Samsung, Google, etc) are 100% rated for freshwater, but if any bit of salt gets inside, it’ll corrode the entire electronic system over time. sometimes it’s not until days or weeks after the phone was exposed to salt water. i used to always put my phone in the tank because it does indeed take amazing pics, and never had an issue, but it’s not advisable. you can use the logic that, if they’re waterproof for freshwater, the same should go for saltwater, but all manufacturers know that errors occur and sometimes the device isn’t as sealed as it should be. if a little freshwater gets inside, the phone will typically dry out and be fine. if it’s salt water, the water will dry out, leaving the salt behind, and starting the corroding process. In my experience, the sim card port is the most likely place for water damage. there’s even a water damage sensor inside this port. newer iphones don’t have a sim port so it’s not as likely to be damaged, but still not impossible.


TLDR:
newer, top of the line phones will more than likely be okay. anything less than $600, and they’re likely not rated for water, surely not salt water. *pro tip, keep sim port out of water

 

[Troylee]

I’ve thought about it but not gonna happen lol..

 

[Jasonak]

I’ve thought about it but not gonna happen lol..

The funny part is it just hit me that I could have got way better contest shot if I had stuck my phone in the water. It had been so long since I did it I completely forgot you could. I have Samsung 22s and it did work for me no problems. BUT yeah im not saying everyone should run out and dunk there phones in there tank
I think it dosnet want to take pictures though if I remember right, like the sensor doesn't work right,,cant remember its been a minute.

 

[rhitee93]

I have one of these that I've taken snorkeling a few times. Half the price of a flagship phone and designed for saltwater. Oddly, I've never put it in my tank. I should try that...

https://explore.omsystem.com/us/en/tg-7

 

[Dburr1014]

Hmmm, I just upgraded my phone and didn't have to turn my old one in.
Now I have a use for it. LOL

 

[vabben]

One day I thought my glass top was closed on my eel tank….nope, IPhone sank to the bottom. No problem experienced afterward.

 

[Miami Reef]

If I do it, I only put the camera underwater.

Protip: You can use charge wirelessly if your phone detects water in the charging port.

It only applies to phones that support wireless charging.

 

[AquaticYeti]

I’ve gone snorkeling in the ocean and held an iPhone 13 recording for 45 minutes. 2 years later and no issues today. My iPhone 14 has gone in the ocean quite a few times with no issue. I do dip them in fresh water afterwards and use the downloadable water ejection short cut. Worst thing was the speakers sounding muffled for a few days one time but that went away.

 

[nim6us]

Some great feedback, thanks everyone for sharing!