We’ve all been there, especially our adventurous friends. Whether you’ve managed to spill a glass of water on it, dropped it in the boat or at the beach trying to nail that selfie, or simply got caught in the rain (hopefully with a Pina Colada…), we recommend doing these steps as soon as possible to prevent water damage in your phone.
Seems like a simple first step but it does need to be said! Every second counts here, the sooner you can remove it from water and dry it, the higher chance it has of being repaired. The longer it’s left in water, the more chance that water has to seep into the phone.
Water and electricity are not friends. If it’s on charge first switch it off at the power, then remove the cable ASAP, as the electricity can cause a short within the phone and create irrevocable damage.
We know switching off the phone seems counter productive, and it sparks all those ‘but it seems to be fine now, what if I can’t turn it back on?’ questions in your mind, but trust us on this one. If the phone is trying to operate while there is water inside, the heat created from your device can cause internal corrosion or damage in the mainboard.
When you dry it, the best thing to use is a lint-free cloth to absorb as much water as possible without any fragments of the cloth going into the phone, especially around any of the inlets (charging point and speakers). Please don’t try and dry it in the sun, use a hair dryer or (dare we even say it) pop it in the microwave (honestly, we’ve seen it all).
It’s also a myth that putting it in rice will help the phone – while some professionals suggest it may absorb some liquid, it can also introduce unhelpful elements, such as dust and starch.
We know how tempting it is to switch your phone back on and see if it’s working, but please try and leave it switched off for 24-48 hours so it can properly dry out. Impatience here could cost you a new smartphone.
Book it in (not on your water damaged phone) to your local SOS Phone Repairer. We can actually professionally dry the phone out for you for free, which is very helpful if you don’t have time to wait 1-2 day period.
Once we’ve dried it for you we can assess the damage and go from there. The quicker you can action all of the above steps, the higher chance we have of saving your phone.
Repeat the above steps, and perhaps stand your phone up with the speakers resting on a lint-free cloth to see if any water drips out.
That’s great that it’s working, but there could be residual water in the phone you can’t see. It’s a good idea to get it professionally dried anyway.
Hey, maybe even buy a life proof case while you’re at it?
Talk Tech With The Professionals
SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs stocks a wide variety of refurbished phones at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.
If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs.
