IP68 meaning: what it covers on your phone and what it doesn’t

IP68 means your phone is fully protected against dust and can withstand being submerged in water beyond one metre, under the conditions each manufacturer sets. The 6 refers to dust and the 8 to water. In practice it covers immersion at shallow depth and for a limited time, around half an hour. What it doesn’t do is stop your phone sinking somewhere you can’t reach.

A boat anchored in the middle of the bay. You lean over the side to film the water, your phone slips out of your hand and you watch it go down, smaller and smaller, until you can’t see it any more. It doesn’t matter how well sealed it is. For you, that phone is gone.

That’s the part of IP68 that matters when you’re at sea. Here’s what each digit means and how far its cover goes.

What IP68 means, digit by digit

The IP code comes from the international standard IEC 60529. It rates how well a device’s casing protects against dust and water getting in. It always has two digits, and each one measures something different.

The first digit: dust

6 is the highest level of dust protection. It means the casing is fully protected and dust can’t get in.

The second digit: water

This is the part you care about. The standard defines several levels of water protection, and for a phone these are the two that matter:

• 7: withstands temporary immersion up to 1 metre for 30 minutes.
• 8: withstands continuous immersion beyond 1 metre, under the conditions each manufacturer sets.

That last detail matters. The standard doesn’t set a fixed depth or time for 8. Each manufacturer declares its own, beyond that metre. Even so, the rating covers immersion at shallow depth and for a limited time, around half an hour. That’s plenty for a dunk, and very little for spending the afternoon on the bottom.

IP68 or IP67: what’s the difference

7 has a fixed limit, one metre and half an hour. 8 goes beyond that metre and lets each manufacturer set its conditions. Both digits mean your phone can handle water. IP68 gives you more margin.

Every phone we make CORK cases for is IP68: iPhone 12 to 17 and Samsung Galaxy S24 to S26.

What IP68 covers on your phone

With an IP68 phone, getting wet is no longer a drama. It can fall into the water or spend a good while in the rain and keep working just the same. For everyday life near the water, that’s a huge relief.

It also handles salt water. A swim in the sea isn’t a problem for an IP68 phone, although afterwards there’s one thing you need to do, which we cover below.

And when it comes out of the water, your phone tells you itself. Recent iPhones detect liquid in the port and won’t charge until it dries. Galaxy phones show a ‘Moisture detected’ warning for the port. It’s a safeguard, and it’s worth respecting.

What IP68 doesn’t cover

The rating is about whether water gets into your phone or not. Some things are left out, and they’re exactly the ones that end in a lost phone or a port with problems.

Your phone sinking

IP68 doesn’t make a phone float. If it falls from a jetty, a jet ski or a kayak out at sea, it goes to the bottom. And the seabed is much deeper than the shallow depth the rating covers.

Down there, pressure and time work against you. Water pressure rises by roughly one atmosphere every 10 metres. The longer it takes to come up, the further it goes past the limited time IP68 covers. And even if you were lucky enough to see it from above, going down to get it is another story.

That’s why, at sea, the useful question changes. You already know your phone can handle water. What matters is whether you’ll be able to pick it up before it goes to the bottom.

A repair with non-original parts

A phone loses its IP68 rating if it’s been repaired with non-original parts. If you’re taking it in for repair, ask for original parts so it keeps its rating.

The salt the sea leaves behind

Your phone can handle salt water, but IP68 doesn’t clean off the salt left behind when the water evaporates. If it dries in the charging port or the speaker grilles, it stays there. That’s why, after a swim in the sea, you need to rinse it with fresh water to get rid of that residue.

What to do if you drop it in the water

If you get it back, IP68 has done its job. Now it’s your turn. Dry the outside with a cloth, tap it gently with the port facing down and leave it somewhere dry and well ventilated. Apple advises against rice and heat sources, like a hairdryer. And don’t charge it until the port is dry.

You’ll find all the steps, including what to do after seawater, in what to do if you’ve dropped your phone in water.

A floating case: what an IP68 phone is missing

An IP68 phone is ready to get wet. What it’s missing is a way not to sink. That’s what a floating case is for.

The CORK case isn’t waterproof or sealed. With it on, your phone still gets wet and copes because it’s IP68. Its job is to keep it on the surface, in sight, so you can pick it up before depth and time work against you.

It floats thanks to cork, which is several times lighter than water, and a fitting technology that holds the phone perfectly in the case. If you want to know how it behaves with the weight of the phone in it, we explain it in does a case really float with the phone inside?

If you’re torn between a waterproof case and a floating one, we compare the two in waterproof or floating phone case.

The case doesn’t make work for you either. It doesn’t need any special care: if it gets wet, give it a wipe with a cloth and you’re done. What you need to look after is the phone.

If you’re taking your phone to sea, there are two models and both float the same. The Cork Slim case gives you the same safety in a smaller size. It’s the smallest floating case ever made, comes in a choice of designs and is lighter for everyday use. It suits people who work at sea or spend a lot of time there, from sailors to jet ski riders, and it’s available for iPhone 15 to 17 and Samsung Galaxy S24 to S26.

The Cork Extreme case is bigger and more impact resistant, safety you can feel. It’s designed for people who take their phone on adventure water sports, like kayaking, and it’s available for iPhone 12 to 17 and Samsung Galaxy S24 to S26. Whichever you choose, if it doesn’t float, we refund your money.

Frequently asked questions

What does IP68 mean on a phone?

That it’s fully protected against dust, which is the 6, and that it can withstand continuous immersion in water beyond one metre under the conditions each manufacturer sets, which is the 8. In practice it covers immersion at shallow depth and for a limited time, around half an hour.

What’s the difference between IP67 and IP68?

7 covers temporary immersion up to 1 metre for 30 minutes. 8 goes beyond that metre, under the conditions each manufacturer sets. Both mean the phone can handle water, and IP68 gives you more margin.

Can an IP68 phone handle seawater?

Yes, it handles salt water. Afterwards you need to rinse it with fresh water so the salt doesn’t stay in the ports or the speakers.

When does a phone lose its IP68 rating?

It loses it if it’s been repaired with non-original parts. If you need to get it repaired, ask for original parts so it keeps its rating.

My phone is already IP68. Do I need a floating case?

IP68 protects your phone when it gets wet, but it doesn’t stop it sinking. If it falls from a boat or a kayak out at sea, it goes to the bottom, where pressure and time work against you. A floating case keeps it on the surface so you can pick it up.