• The temptation to film his exploits under water in the swimming pool or at the sea is great during the summer holidays.

  • While many smartphones have immersion protection standards, you should know what they correspond to exactly and follow certain rules.

  • But in fact, using your smartphone underwater, voluntarily, is not recommended, especially since it makes you lose your warranty.

Photographing and filming underwater with a smartphone during the summer holidays?

No problem, do you think, most mobiles, like Apple's iPhone 13, Oppo's FindX 5 Pro or Vivo's X80 Pro are now waterproof!

And do you think that these devices which proudly display their IP standard do not risk anything if they fall into the water?

Not that easy.

"20 Minutes" tells you what it says before you get wet.

Different protection indices

So tempting at the start of the July holidays!

Little Lisa is about to take her first dip in the pool and you want to immortalize the event.

In the pool with your smartphone, you want to capture the moment and take the opportunity to film the entry of your offspring into the water.

No danger, your digital terminal is IP standard, so it can accompany you in the deep end.

Or not.

Before you start, you should first check the two numbers that follow the "IP" (for Protection Index) that accompany this standard.

First of them, the 6 means that the device is protected against dust deposits.

If it is followed by a 5 (IP65), this indicates that it is protected against water jets, such as under a shower.

If the second digit is a 6 (IP66), that assumes it can withstand strong water jets, like waves.

More interesting: the IP67 standard, the smartphone is waterproof up to one meter for thirty minutes.

And more than one meter for an hour if it is IP68.

Screen and button inoperative

Then, be aware that photographing or filming with a smartphone underwater is far from being a comfortable exercise.

Who has tried the experiment knows that we do not see much on the screen (generally tinted with silver reflections), and worse, that the touch buttons become inoperative under water.

It is therefore necessary, before immersing your terminal, to make the right settings, or even to press the shutter button before immersing your phone in water if you want to shoot a video.

To make your job easier, the Crosscall brand (whose smartphones meet IP67 and IP68 standards) had the good idea of ​​implementing a “Touch-lock” function on its devices.

This allows you to lock the screen and trigger the shot using the side button of its terminals.

Other terminals also offer this possibility, such as Apple or Samsung.

Finally, no need to try to post the images of your dives from the bottom of the deep end, there will be no network!

Compulsory drying

Once back on your deckchair, it's up to you to enjoy the unforgettable images with bluish reflections to flesh out your “Summer'22” album!

Yes, but it is necessary first of all to dry your smartphone, or even rinse it with clean water if you have used it in the open sea, salt can quickly create a phenomenon of oxidation.

It is mainly a question here of drying its connector and evacuating the water which could have entered its or its speakers.

Avoid cotton swabs or any cloth that can deposit fibers on it.

Similarly, the hair dryer is to be avoided, the heat can damage your device.

Prefer the draft of a fan.

Prevention rather than cure

On arrival, everything is not as simple as it seems.

Above all, be aware that any damage caused to your smartphone due to water is not covered by its warranty... And that corrosion can cause an expensive repair that will immobilize your phone for several days.

That can get cold!

Finally, nothing beats a protective shell, or a universal pouch (from 15 euros), to use your smartphone underwater.

In fact, the protection standards are there more to avoid the little hassles of everyday life (such as with a smartphone that has taken the rain or, a classic, fallen into the toilet bowl).

It is enough to read Apple's warnings on this subject to say that in the end, it is better to avoid letting your precious smartphone get wet... Among them is this one: "To avoid any damage caused by liquid, avoid intentionally immersing your iPhone in water.

All is said.

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  • high tech

  • Summer holidays

  • smartphone

  • Sea

  • Swimming pool

  • 20 minute video