Many iPhone users may be wondering if AppleCare covers water damage. Water damage can occur in many different ways including spilling liquid onto your phone or dropping your phone into water. So, does AppleCare cover iPhone water damage?
QUICK ANSWER:
AppleCare one year limited warranty doesn’t cover iPhone water damage. However, AppleCare+ does cover accidental iPhone water damage.
Although most iPhone models have some water resistance, there is still a possibility for your device to be damaged by liquid. Many users are also confused about what sort of warranty their device comes with, and what are the differences in coverage between the included warranty, and AppleCare+. Here’s what you need to know.
iPhone’s Water Resistance
Most recent iPhone models are water-resistant, but there are conditions attached to that rating, like depth and duration of exposure:
- iPhone 15: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 15 Plus: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 15 Pro: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 14: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 14 Plus: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 14 Pro: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 13: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 13 mini: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 13 Pro: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 12: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 12 mini: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 12 Pro: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 11 Pro: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 4 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 11 Pro Max: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 4 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 11: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone XS: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone XS Max: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone SE (2nd generation): Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone SE (3rd generation): Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone XR: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone X: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 8: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 8 Plus: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 7: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
- iPhone 7 Plus: Water resistant to a maximum depth of 1 meters up to 30 minutes.
AppleCare vs AppleCare+
For starters, it’s important to know the difference between AppleCare and AppleCare+, because many users interchange the two and think they’re relatively the same thing.
AppleCare refers to the one year limited warranty that comes with any Apple device you purchase. The limited warranty doesn’t cover water damage. That means if your iPhone develops a fault as a result of liquid damage, Apple won’t honor their limited one-year warranty.
AppleCare+ (or AppleCare Plus) is the extended warranty that you must purchase separately. AppleCare+ covers accidental damage. So if you drop your iPhone or your iPad gets submerged in water and you need to get the device fixed or replaced, your policy will save you from a hefty bill.
With accidental damage, there is a fixed deductible depending on the type of damage and the iPhone model. Presumably, this is designed to discourage customers from claiming on non-critical incidents.
Although you still have to pay the deductible, the repair prices with AppleCare+ are generally much cheaper than for standard repairs through Apple. For example, if you have broken your iPhone’s screen, a replacement is only $29. If the iPhone has other damage in addition to the screen, the fee is $99. Out of warranty, a screen replacement can cost up to $329. In this instance, AppleCare+ significantly reduces the costs of repair, and with the Express Replacement Service, the process should be reasonably effortless.
See also: Yes, You Can Transfer AppleCare to a New Owner, Here’s How
AppleCare+ for iPhone
AppleCare+ for iPhone offers unlimited incidents of accidental damage protection.
Covered Accidental Damage
As already mentioned, AppleCare Plus is an optional additional extended warranty that you can purchase separately after buying a product. AppleCare+ covers accidental damage such as broken screen, water damage, or even total breakdown from a catastrophic drop. You could bring an iPhone back in pieces and get a replacement, as long as it was "accidental."
But Apple is clear that the damage needs to be accidental, so don’t go swimming with your iPhone in a pool, because that won’t sound accidental however you try to explain it.
Apple recommends you avoid the following activities:
- Swimming, bathing, or using your iPhone in a sauna or steam room
- Exposing the device to pressurized or high-velocity water (e.g. showering, surfing)
- Cleaning the device with pressurized air
- Intentionally submerging the device for any reason
- Damaging or disassembling the device
- Using the iPhone outside of the suggested temperature or humidity ranges
In other words, Apple explicitly recommends against dunking your iPhone underwater.
What isn’t Covered
AppleCare+ coverage doesn’t protect against user-created damage to Apple products, such as unauthorized repair or modification, illegal software manipulation or download, or other non-accident-related events. In these cases, Apple will turn customers away or require full device replacement.
How to Get Service
You can call Apple or go to support.apple.com/ country-selector. You should have the AppleCare+ plan number and/or your device’s serial number. See the following articles for more on your service options and how to get service for your device: