Did your phone fall into the sink or the pool? Or even worse, did you drop your phone in the toilet? No matter how your phone got wet, it doesn’t have to mean it’s damaged beyond repair – but it’s important to act quickly! Keep reading to learn how to fix a wet phone.
by Alyssa SchmittIf this happens to your phone, it’s important to act quickly
We all know that water and electronic devices shouldn’t mix. So, the first thing to do is get your phone out of the water quickly. If you have dropped your phone into the toilet or some dubious liquid, you can pause to put on some gloves, but retrieve it as fast as you can. The quicker you remove it, the less time the water has to damage the phone’s circuit board or other internal components.
Once you have rescued it from the liquid, you may be able to prevent water damage to your phone by following the five steps below.
What to do immediately after phone falling in water
Step 1: Turn off your phone
If your phone is still on, TURN IT OFF! This helps prevent short-circuiting or damage to the battery. Even if the phone seems to be working fine, you should still turn it off and follow the steps below to dry it.
If the phone was already switched off or has gone dead, resist the temptation to try to turn it on. Do not under any circumstances connect it to a charging cable.
Step 2: Clean and dry the outside of your phone
Once the phone is switched off, take it out of its case (if you use one). If you dropped it in clean, fresh water, dry the phone with a clean cloth or towel and continue to step 3.
However, if you dropped the phone into some other liquid – e.g., saltwater, your beer or soda, chlorinated pool water, a mud puddle, or even the toilet – you will want to get rid of any dirt, salt, or other impurities that could worsen circuit damage or clog openings.
If you have a water-resistant phone, you can clean it by rinsing it gently in fresh water. Samsung even recommends soaking the phone in clean water for 1-3 minutes. Once you’ve cleaned the phone, dry it with a clean cloth or towel and continue with the steps below.
Step 3: Remove any removable parts
After you have dried off the outside of the phone, take out any removable parts. For some models, this means taking off the back cover and removing the battery. You should also take the SIM card and any SD memory cards out of the device. Place everything on a clean, dry cloth.
Step 4: Dry the inside of the phone if possible
If your phone is a model that can be opened, carefully and gently pat the inside of the phone dry using a clean, lint-free towel or cloth.
Because iPhones can’t be opened or taken apart, Apple suggests holding your phone with the connector ports facing down and gently tapping it against your other hand to allow liquid to flow out. The company advises against inserting cotton swabs (or anything else) into the openings of an iPhone. Samsung, on the other hand, recommends drying earphone jacks and charging ports with a cotton bud.
Step 5: Leave your phone to dry for one or two days.
Place your phone and any parts you removed on a dry cloth and let them air-dry in a well-ventilated area for 24 to 48 hours.
DO NOT try to speed up the drying process by exposing your phone to heat or hot air – hairdryers, ovens, heaters, or even the blazing sun could cause additional damage to your device.
One trick you could also try to dry a phone is to put it in an airtight container with a few silica gel packets. These are the small white sachets that are often placed inside shipping boxes and product packaging to protect the contents from moisture.
Good to know: Does rice help a wet phone?
You may have heard that burying your phone in a bowl or bag of uncooked rice will help it dry faster and remove any liquid trapped inside. However, using rice for a wet phone is a myth – unfortunately, dried rice does not absorb enough moisture to be 100% effective here. Furthermore, Apple specifically warns against putting your iPhone in rice, pointing out that small particles of rice could damage it.
How long should I wait to turn on my phone after it got wet?
You may be tempted to try turning your phone back on after a few hours, but you should let it dry a minimum of 24 hours – and many experts suggest waiting as long as 48 hours. This is because any residual moisture trapped inside the phone could damage its circuits and components when it is turned on.
What to do if your phone fell in water and it won't turn back on
After one or two days of air-drying, you can try rebooting your phone. If the phone will not switch on, take it to a professional repair service that is authorized by the manufacturer of your phone.
What to do if your phone fell in water and it works
Even if your phone seems fine after you drop it in water, you should still take the precaution of switching it off and drying it. If you let your phone dry for a day and it works when you switch it back on, you might consider having it checked by a certified technician anyway. There may be residual moisture that won’t start causing noticeable problems for days or even weeks.
Pro tip: "Liquid detected"
Newer smartphones from Apple, Samsung, and some other companies now have moisture sensors that will trigger an alert if you try to plug in a cable into the charging port when it is wet. This doesn’t only happen when the phone was submerged in water – a splash or spill might be responsible. If you see this alert, gently tap your phone with the port pointing down to help any liquid escape. Then leave your phone to air-dry for several hours or even a full day. If the alert persists after drying or your phone isn’t working properly, seek professional assistance.
Protect your phone from water damage
Accidents happen – we get it! That’s why it’s always safest not to use your phone around water, e.g., in the bathroom, by the pool, or in the rain. Keep your phone as dry as possible by using a Bluetooth headset to answer calls or listen to music without taking the phone out of your pocket or bag. Don’t set your phone on wet surfaces or anywhere someone can spill a drink on it.
However, if you are going to be using your phone at a pool, beach, or other water-adjacent location, you can plan ahead to prevent a waterlogged phone. For example, you can invest in a waterproof phone case or pouch, which are available at a range of price points.
When buying your next smartphone, you should also look at its Ingress Protection (IP) rating, which tells you how well it is protected against both solids and liquids. Nowadays the highest-rated phones offer IP68, which means they can "survive" being submerged in fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Keep in mind, however, that even though IP68-rated devices are water resistant, they are not completely waterproof.
And remember, to avoid the risk of losing precious photos or important data if your phone suffers irreparable water damage, be sure to set up cloud backup before the worst happens! To learn more about backing up data in your mail.com Cloud, check out this explainer: Let your free cloud storage work for you – online and offline
We hope this advice will help you keep your phone safe and dry. And if you do accidentally drop your phone in water: Don’t panic, switch off and dry your phone as soon as possible, and consult a certified professional to fix a phone with water damage.
