Dropped phone in water? What now? Chances are that it's screwed. After all, water is a mortal enemy to electronics.
Still, we have a few tips to give you that might save your device. And "might", is the keyword here. There's no guarantee that anything will work. Without any further ado, let's get right into it!
1: Dropped Phone In Water? Remove The Battery And Try To Shake it Off
This sounds like the obvious thing to do - and it is. Still, in a moment of panic and desperation, you may wrongfully try to turn your phone on and see if it's all good. Don't.
The first thing you wanna do is remove the battery (if possible) and dry off the phone as fast as possible. Paper towels will do just fine. Don't forget to shake the phone around a bit to get out any water that has sneaked in.
Surely all of you who've got a phone with a non-removable battery are screaming in agony right now. But, maybe there's no need to.
As we've mentioned before, one of the reasons that manufacturers aren't willing to bring removable batteries back is because the non-removable design makes it easier to water-proof a device. We're not saying that your phone with non-removable battery is absolutely safe. Just that it may be.
Still, if you feel like you can safely open the device without breaking anything, do it! Then proceed with drying it by using a paper towel, vacuums, anything that can assist with drying.
A blower may actually push the water further inside. But, you'll have to completely leave the phone aside for full drying anyway. More on that later.
2. Don't Try To Turn it On And Charge it Just Yet
After drying the device, chances are that you'll get tempted to put the battery back in, turn the phone on, and maybe charge it. Don't.
Just because you don't see any water, doesn't mean that there isn't any. Even a tiny drop that is hidden around a corner may be enough to eventually cause corrosion or reach a sensitive component and cause a short.
So, before turning the phone and/or plugging it in, leave it somewhere to dry for a good 24/48 hours. We know that this is a painful process and that you need your phone. But, this is for the best. Especially if your main priority is saving it.
Rumor has it that using uncooked rice is the best way to dry a phone. However, numerous reputable sources like USA Today tend to disagree. Who are you going to believe? No-name blogs or the big names? Your call.
The thing is, if rice doesn't do the trick, then what? Well, apparently, when it comes to household items, your desk will probably work just fine. Any dry place with good air circulation and a bit of heat is good.
So, leave your phone aside in a dry place with good air circulation for a couple of days and pray for the best. After that, corrosion starts kicking in anyway which means that there is no reason to wait any longer.
You could wait longer to play it safe. But, again, if the water remains inside for more than 2 days then your phone is already flirting with death anyway.
3. Dropped Phone in Water, Followed The Tips, Nothing. Now What?
If you've tried everything and you still can't get your phone to boot up after a couple of days, then we're sorry to inform you that it may be a lost cause. You could try repairing it. But, do keep in mind that water shortage is often the indefinite death of most electronic devices.
There have been people who have reported that their water damaged phones somehow came back to life after a couple of months or so - including us. Still, don't expect too much at this point.
You could try getting a replacement battery in case that the old one got damaged. But, do understand that it's a bit of a gamble and most phone batteries aren't exactly cheap.
Use this opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Get a phone with a water-resistance rating, maybe a water-proof case, anything like that.
Speaking of which, do pay attention to the water resistance rating. A water-resistant phone isn't necessarily water-proof. For example, IP53 means that your device can only handle small sprays and drops.
We understand that a water-proof case will most definitely make it harder to conveniently handle your phone. But, if you're clumsy and/or you know that there is a good chance of getting your phone wet, why risk it?
Other than that, you can also try something like a dry bag, zip lock plastic bag, or anything that may temporarily keep the water away. Comes in handy while you're on the pool, beach, any place where there is a high chance of getting your phone wet.
Wrapping Up
That's all for now. Hopefully, this guide helped you out. Let us know how the situation evolved for you.
Feel like we forgot to mention something important? Got anything wrong? Then let us and everyone else know about it in the comments section down below!
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