Q. What does IP68 mean, and can you shower with a waterproof phone?

Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, went on sale on 23 October. Its spec sheet promises IP68 water resistance, up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes, which sounds like a phone you could take anywhere, the shower included. So what does IP68 actually mean, and can you shower with a waterproof phone?

The short answer: IP68 means the phone is dust-tight (the 6) and has passed an immersion test tougher than the 1-meter, 30-minute test for a 7 (the 8), but you should still keep it out of the shower. The test leaves the phone sitting still in clean fresh water, so shower spray, steam and soap are not part of it.

What do the 6 and the 8 in IP68 mean?

IP ratings come from IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 60529, a standard from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). IP is usually read as Ingress Protection (also given as International Protection), and the two digits say how well a device’s casing keeps out solids and water.

The first digit, from 0 to 6, covers solids such as dust. A 5 means some dust may get in, though not enough to affect how the device works; a 6 means no dust gets in at all.

The second digit, from 0 to 9, covers water. Levels 1 to 4 deal with dripping, sprayed and splashing water, and 5 and 6 with jets from a nozzle. A 7 means no harmful amount of water gets in after 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter, and an 8 means the device passed a tougher immersion test. A 9 covers close-range, high-pressure, high-temperature jets.

One detail matters later. Up to 6, a higher number covers everything below it, but the immersion tests (7 and 8) are judged apart from the jet tests (5 and 6), so a device that passes both lists both, as in IP65/IP68.

What is the difference between IP68 and IPX8?

An X in place of a digit means that category was not rated. IPX8 tells you the device passed an immersion test for an 8 but says nothing about dust, good or bad. The difference between IP68 and IPX8 is dust, not water. Samsung, for example, lists its Galaxy S series as IP68 and older foldables such as the Galaxy Z Fold3 to Fold5 as IPX8.

Rating	First digit (dust)	Second digit (water)	In plain terms
IP67	6: dust-tight	7: 1 m for 30 minutes	iPhone 7 to iPhone X and XR, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)
IP68	6: dust-tight	8: immersion tougher than 7	The maker states depth and time
IPX4	X: not rated	4: splashing from any direction	Splashes only, no immersion test
IPX8	X: not rated	8: immersion tougher than 7	Passed immersion, no dust rating

Why do two IP68 phones have different depth ratings?

A 7 has fixed test conditions: 1 meter for 30 minutes. An 8 only has to be tougher, and the manufacturer states the depth and time, so “IP68” alone does not tell you how deep a phone can go.

Apple’s support page shows the spread among IP68 iPhones: 2 meters for the iPhone XS and iPhone 11, 4 meters for the iPhone 11 Pro, and 6 meters for the iPhone 12 through iPhone 17 models, all for up to 30 minutes. Samsung says its IPX8 Galaxy phones are tested at 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.

These are lab results, not a safe diving depth, and Apple says not to submerge an iPhone on purpose.

Can you shower with an IP68 phone?

Apple’s answer is no. It calls the iPhone water resistant, not waterproof, and its list of things to avoid names showering as the first example of pressurized or high-velocity water. Swimming, bathing, saunas and steam rooms are on the same list. Apple tells owners not to take even an IP68 iPhone into the shower, the bath or the pool.

A shower looks nothing like the test. The water moves, for a start: Samsung says its IPX8 test leaves the phone still in fresh water, and since immersion and jet tests are judged separately, passing one promises nothing about water pouring down on it.

Heat and soap are missing from the test too. A hot shower fills the room with steam, and both companies warn against very humid places. Apple asks owners to limit contact with soap, lotions and hair dye, and Samsung lists soapy water, salt water and pool water among the liquids to avoid.

Protection also fades with normal wear, Apple says, and a 2025 study in the journal e-Prime argues that IEC 60529 was not designed to test long-term liquid protection in portable electronics. If you want music in the shower, leave the phone outside the bathroom.

Is iPhone Duo waterproof, and what if it gets wet?

iPhone Duo is rated IP68 under IEC 60529: a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes, tested under controlled laboratory conditions, the same as the iPhone 12 through iPhone 17 models. Apple adds that you should not charge a wet iPhone and that liquid damage is not covered under warranty.

If your iPhone gets wet, Apple Support says to:

1. Unplug all cables and accessories.
2. Rinse off any liquid other than water with tap water.
3. Wipe it with a soft, lint-free cloth, such as a lens cloth.
4. Tap it gently against your hand, connector facing down, to remove excess liquid.
5. Leave it in a dry area with some airflow; a fan blowing cool air into the connector might help.

Don’t dry it with an external heat source such as a hair dryer or with compressed air, and don’t push a cotton swab or paper towel into the connector. Skip the bag of rice too: Apple says small rice particles could damage the phone.

Wait at least 5 hours before charging with a cable, because charging with a wet connector can corrode the pins and cause permanent damage. If a liquid-detection alert appears, the connector is still wet, and drying fully can take up to 24 hours.

In short

IP68 means dust-tight (6) plus an immersion test tougher than a 7 (8), with the depth set by the maker: 6 meters for 30 minutes on the iPhone Duo. That test is still fresh water in a lab, so keep the phone out of the shower, and let a wet phone dry in moving air before charging it.