Your AirPods 4 just got dunked in water, caught in a heavy rain, or went through the wash. What you do in the next hour determines whether they survive. Water doesn't instantly kill electronics, it's the electrical current passing through wet components that causes damage. Stop all power before anything else.
Don't plug the case in. Don't put the buds back in the case yet. Don't open the lid near your iPhone, because that triggers the pairing process and starts drawing battery from the case. Leave the buds out and the case open on a dry surface. The first rule of water recovery is: no power until everything is bone dry.
Let me be upfront: AirPods 4 don't have an official water resistance rating like the Pro models. They're designed for sweat, not submersion. Survival is possible if you act fast and dry them thoroughly, but there's no guarantee. These steps give the buds the best shot.
Don't Power Anything On
This is the single most important fix, and it happens before anything else. The moment the buds get wet, any electrical activity, charging, pairing, playing audio, creates tiny short circuits inside the circuitry. Those shorts can burn traces and kill the buds permanently.
If the buds were sitting in the case when it got wet, pull them out immediately. The case will try to trickle-charge them as long as it has battery, and that charging current is exactly what you want to avoid. Leave the case lid open and the buds on a microfiber cloth away from any power source.
Shake Out Visible Water
Hold each AirPod 4 with the stem pointing downward and give it a few gentle shakes. Water will drip out of the speaker mesh and the microphone vents. Don't shake hard enough to rattle anything internally, just enough to see droplets fall. Repeat with the case: hold it upside down with the lid open and gently shake, especially around the wells where the buds sit and the USB‑C port area.
The USB‑C port on the AirPods 4 case is a water trap. Tilt the case so the port faces down and let gravity drain it. A couple of sharp downward flicks into a napkin can help push water out.
Dry With a Soft Cloth
Use a dry, lint‑free microfiber cloth to blot each bud and the case exterior. Pay special attention to the speaker mesh on the buds, the microphone grilles on the stems, and the gold charging contacts at the bottom of each stem. Those contacts are the first place corrosion appears if moisture lingers.
For the case, wipe down the lid hinge, the button on the back, and the USB‑C port opening. Don't shove cloth fibers into any openings, just blot firmly. The goal is to absorb surface moisture so it won't wick inside.
Air Dry for 48 Hours Minimum
Place the buds and the case (lid open) on a soft, dry surface in a well‑ventilated room. A spot near a fan or an open window works well. Do not use a hair dryer, oven, radiator, or microwave. Heat warps the plastic seals and can damage the lithium‑ion batteries inside. Don't put them in rice either. Rice doesn't absorb moisture from inside sealed electronics, and the starch dust can clog the mesh grilles.
If you have silica gel packets (the little packets from shoe boxes or electronics packaging), put the buds and case in a sealed container with a handful of those desiccants. That can speed up drying, but plain air works, it just takes longer. Let them sit for at least 48 hours before you attempt to charge or use them.
Inspect for Corrosion Before Testing
After the drying period, examine the gold contacts on each bud stem and the spring‑loaded pins inside the case wells. Corrosion shows up as a green, white, or crusty residue. If you see any, brush it gently with a dry, soft toothbrush. For stubborn spots, a cotton swab very lightly dampened with 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol (only after you're sure everything is dry) can help. Never use alcohol on wet electronics.
Also check the USB‑C port inside the case for any debris or visible corrosion. A dry toothpick or plastic pick can carefully dislodge anything stuck in there. If the contacts look clean and dry, you're ready to power up.
Test in Stages
Plug the case into a power source using an Apple‑certified MFi USB‑C cable (standard 5W charger is fine; AirPods 4 don't support fast charging). Watch the status light on the front of the case. If it glows green or amber steadily, that's a good sign. If the light flickers, the case gets warm, or you smell anything unusual, unplug immediately.
After the case has charged for about 10 minutes with the lid open, place one bud into its well. Close the lid for 5 minutes, then open it near your unlocked iPhone running iOS 18 or later (that firmware is required for full AirPods 4 support). The pairing card should appear with battery percentages for both the case and the bud. If the bud reports a charge level, it's alive. Test audio with a short song, then test the microphone by recording a voice memo.
Repeat with the second bud. Even if both work, keep an eye on battery life, random disconnects, or muffled sound over the next few weeks, these are signs of lingering damage. Standard warranty doesn't cover liquid, but AppleCare+ covers accidental damage with a $29 fee per incident if you have the plan.
Reset If One Bud Won't Connect
A common issue after water exposure is that one AirPod 4 loses connection or won't show up in Bluetooth settings. If you've dried and tested but one bud isn't responding, try a reset. Close the case lid for at least 30 seconds, then open it. While the status light is on, double‑tap the front of the case three times, once when the light is steady white, then twice more as it flashes faster, until the light blinks amber and then white. That's the factory reset for AirPods 4 (no setup‑button hold here, like older models).
After the reset, re‑pair by opening the case near your iPhone. If the bud still doesn't appear, the water may have damaged its internal components. In that case, replacement is the next step. The AirPods 4's lid sensor can also be flaky after moisture, if the case doesn't register the lid being open, clean the hinge area with a dry cloth and try again.
