165 Hz appears everywhere as though it were a physical constant. It is not — it is a reasonable average, and knowing what it is averaging tells you what to do when it does not work.
For a complete overview, see why low frequencies clear speakers.
What determines the right frequency
Every speaker has a resonant frequency — the point where the moving system naturally wants
to oscillate, and where a given input produces maximum diaphragm travel. It is set by three
things: the mass of the diaphragm, the stiffness of its suspension, and the volume of the
sealed cavity behind it. All three vary between manufacturers and between models from the same
manufacturer.
Why 165 Hz specifically
Small smartphone drivers cluster somewhere between roughly 120 and 400 Hz. 165 Hz
sits low in that band, where excursion is largest while still being reproducible by a small
driver. It is a sensible default for the population of devices, not a targeted value for
yours.
What Apple does differently
Apple Watch's water-eject function has an advantage no general tool has: Apple knows the exact
resonant frequency of the driver it designed. It can target it precisely. A third-party tool
cannot, which is the entire reason a sweep exists as an option.
When 165 Hz produces nothing
Two possibilities. Either your driver's resonance sits meaningfully away from 165 Hz —
in which case a sweep across 120–400 Hz will pass through the right point — or the
blockage is not the kind that responds to sound at all. Try the sweep first. If that also
produces nothing across three cycles, the problem is not liquid or loose debris.
Frequency is not the main variable anyway
In practice, orientation and volume affect results more than frequency does within the useful
band. Grille facing down, angled about 45 degrees, at 70–80 percent volume, will outperform a
perfectly tuned frequency played flat at maximum volume. Get those right before worrying about
the exact number.
Larger drivers sit lower
Bluetooth speakers and laptops have bigger diaphragms and heavier moving mass, so their
resonance is lower — often well under 100 Hz. On those devices 165 Hz is above the
optimum, and a downward sweep is more useful than a fixed tone.