If your smartphone has inadvertently come into contact with a large amount of water (or liquid), don't despair. Even if it has fallen into the sink, toilet, or bathtub, you may be able to restore normal operation. The first rule to respect is to act as quickly as possible: turn it off immediately, remove the battery and disconnect all accessories. At that point, try to get rid of as much water or liquid as possible using a towel and vacuum cleaner. At the end of the preliminary drying phase, place the device inside a bowl and cover it with rice or another absorbent material and let it rest undisturbed for 48-72 hours before trying to turn it on. If you acted promptly, with a bit of luck your smartphone should start working normally again without having to undergo further repairs.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Act Quickly to Minimize Water Damage
Step 1. Remove the smartphone from the water as quickly as possible, unless it is connected to the charger
The longer the device spends in contact with water, the more damage it could suffer. If the device has been submerged in water for a long time, the chances of being able to restore normal operation will be minimal or nil.
Step 2. If the phone is submerged in water and connected to the charger, disconnect it from the mains before performing any other operations
In this case, it is a good idea to disconnect the charger from the power outlet before trying to take the smartphone out of the water. Otherwise, you run the risk of receiving an electric shock.
The safest way to disconnect the device from the mains is to use the switches on the main electrical panel
Step 3. Turn off your smartphone immediately, even if it appears to be working normally
Leaving it on increases the chances of an internal short circuit occurring. If you have dropped it in water, you must assume that a quantity of liquid has entered the device, regardless of whether it is still working or not.
Do not try to turn on the device to check if it still works
Step 4. Remove the battery and protective case and lay them on some paper towels
After removing the phone from the water, quickly get some clean, dry blotting paper or soft cloths. Place the device on paper towels or a cloth while quickly removing both the battery and the protective case (if present). In order to disassemble most smartphones you will need a small Phillips screwdriver. If you have an iPhone you will need to use a Pentalobe or Torx screwdriver.
- Read your smartphone manual if you don't know how to uninstall the internal battery.
- This is one of the most important steps that must be taken in order to be able to save any electronic device that has inadvertently come into contact with water. Many of the delicate internal circuits of the smartphone are able to not be damaged when they come into contact with water, as long as they are not in operation, so that it is not connected to a power source (in this case the battery of the device).
- To check if the smartphone has been damaged by water, check one of the corners of the battery compartment, there should be a circle or a square of white color. If it has taken on a pink or red color, it means that it has come into contact with water and therefore the smartphone may have suffered damage.
- On many iPhone models the water damage indicator is located on one side of the phone (in the SIM card slot) or on the bottom, near the charger connector or headphone jack.
Step 5. Remove the SIM card from your smartphone (if present)
After taking out the phone SIM, dry it using absorbent paper or a dry cloth and set it aside until you need to reinstall it in the device. If the phone in question does not have a SIM card (for example in the case of the home cordless phone), you can skip this step.
Some or all of the important data in the phone (e.g. contacts and SMS) is stored on the SIM card. In some cases it may be much more important to recover this card than to try to restore normal device operation
Step 6. Unplug any accessories currently on your smartphone
Remove the protective cover, earphones, SD card, and any other accessories connected to the device. Make sure all communication ports and device housings are exposed directly to the air, so they can dry properly on their own.
Method 2 of 2: Dry the Phone
Step 1. Place the device in a bowl and cover it with raw instant rice and let it rest for 48-72 hours
Pour about 1 kg of uncooked rice into a large bowl, then place the smartphone and the battery inside the container so that they are completely submerged by the grains. The rice will absorb any residual moisture that may be present inside the device.
- Remember to rotate your smartphone every 60 minutes to change its position inside the bowl. Do this until you need to go to sleep. In this way any liquid residues trapped inside the device will be more likely to naturally find a way out.
- Normal uncooked white or brown rice has a lower absorbency than instant or precooked rice (as these products are dehydrated before being marketed) so they cannot be used for this drying procedure.
Step 2. Use silica gel sachets to replace instant rice
Place the silica gel sachets, smartphone and battery inside a container, then let them sit undisturbed for 48-72 hours so that the silica can absorb any residual moisture still present in the device.
- The silica gel sachets are normally found inside the boxes of footwear, bags or leather accessories, of dehydrated foods and, in general, inside the packaging of all those products that must be protected from the humidity present in the air.
- Timeliness is the most important element to consider in order to save your smartphone; So if you don't have silica gel sachets available, use instant rice or another material that absorbs moisture.
- It is not necessary to open the packages. Simply put them in the container along with the phone.
Step 3. Cover your smartphone with approximately 1 kg of silicon crystal cat litter
If you don't have instant rice or silica gel sachets available, you can use the silicon crystal cat litter. Pour a layer of it into a container that has a capacity of 1-2 liters, then place the smartphone and the battery on the litter and cover them by pouring the rest of the crystals.
- You can buy silicon crystal cat litter at most supermarkets and stores that sell pet products.
- Do not use clumping cat litter or cat litter made from other materials. In this case you can only use those based on silicon crystals, as they are prepared with silica gel.
- Other dehydrated products such as pre-cooked couscous and instant oatmeal can be used to eliminate residual moisture from inside the smartphone.
Step 4. Suck up any remaining water inside the phone using the vacuum cleaner
Attach the special flexible hose to the vacuum cleaner, set the appliance to maximum power and use the free end of the hose to suck the moisture and residual water from all the openings on the smartphone body.
- If you have one, you can use a vacuum cleaner designed to pick up both dry and liquid residues; is ideal for carrying out the task required by this step.
- This is the quickest method you can take to completely dry your smartphone and restore normal operation in just 30 minutes. However, unless the device has been in contact with water for an extremely short period of time, you shouldn't try to turn it on that soon.
Step 5. Use an air compressor to blow out any residual water and moisture from inside the smartphone
Set the compressor outlet to a minimum pressure level, then direct the air jet over the entire surface of the device and especially inside all connection ports.
- If you don't have an air compressor, you can use a can of compressed air that you can buy at any electronics store.
- Be careful; if the air pressure level is too high, you could damage the internal components of the device.
- Do not use the hairdryer to try to dry the smartphone quickly. Very hot air could damage the delicate electronic components of the phone.
Step 6. Clean your smartphone and battery using a soft cloth or towel
While you are drying the device with compressed air or a vacuum cleaner, gently wipe off any residual water from the surface of the smartphone. Being able to dry the inside of the phone perfectly is the top priority, but you need to be sure that the outside surface is also completely dry.
Avoid moving or shaking the smartphone excessively to prevent any liquid inside the device from coming into contact with delicate elements and causing greater damage than already existing
Step 7. If you want, you can leave your smartphone in the air by pointing a fan at it
Put the device to dry on a dry towel or other absorbent material, then get a fan and point it at your smartphone so that the jet of air can dry it naturally.
Step 8. Wait 48-72 hours, then try to turn on your smartphone again
Before turning it on, make sure the device is perfectly clean and dry. If not, clean it and remove any residual dust or debris using a clean cloth or vacuum cleaner. At this point reinstall the battery and try to turn it on.
The longer you can wait before turning it on, the more likely it is that the device will resume normal operation
Advice
- If the phone does not work normally again, contact a specialized and certified service center. The staff will know what to do and how to fix the problem.
- Be very careful when you immerse the device in the bowl full of rice, the grains could get stuck inside the communication ports of the device (the one you connect the earphones to and the one you use to connect the charger).
Warnings
- Do not try to dry the smartphone with a heat source to avoid the risk of further damaging the device.
- Do not try to take your smartphone out of the water if it is still connected to an electrical power source. First unplug the charger and only then recover the device. This way you won't run the risk of getting an electric shock.
- Don't try to take your smartphone apart unless you are an expert and know how to act.
